Page 42 of Shielded Heart

There were several hissing sounds from behind and beneath Arcanthus in rapid succession.

“Shit,” someone growled from inside the cab. “We’re taking fire from the street.”

As Arcanthus bent his leg for another kick, a bolt of plasma zipped through the space between him and the building, passing close enough for him to feel its heat on his face.

“Kiloq, Koroq, see if you can get an angle on them,” Drakkal growled as the hovercar drifted away from the building.

“Swing me back over,” Arcanthus shouted.

“It’s too dangerous, Arc.”

More plasma bolts darted through the air. Arcanthus risked a glance down to see three people on the street below, firing their auto-blasters upward. The hovercar was armored, but that armor wouldn’t hold out indefinitely.

He shifted his third eye toward the window, which had two circular points of damage with cracks radiating outward from them. It probably needed two or three more hits to break; he didn’t have time for that. “Just get me some momentum, damn it!”

Drakkal uttered a curse. The hovercar moved farther away from the building before swinging back like a pendulum. Arcanthus adjusted his grip on the doorframe and bent his legs, releasing his tail’s hold on the seat.

What if it doesn’t break?

Ithasto break. I’m not giving it a choice.

Arcanthus launched himself forward, lifting his arms, elbows in front, to shield his face as his body crossed the gap.

The window didn’t shatter—it buckled and cracked, breaking out of its frame to fall into the apartment with Arcanthus atop it. Arc landed hard, his elbows smacking the floor while his abdomen caught on the window frame. He felt the impact even through his armor.

Gritting his teeth, he dragged himself fully inside and stood, swinging one of the auto-blasters into his hands. He scanned the room, heart lodging in his throat when he didn’t catch sight of his mate.

“Samantha?”

“Alkorin?” Her head popped up from between the bed and the wall.

Relief washed over Arcanthus like a wave of cool water; for an instant, his knees felt impossibly weak, and he feared he’d collapse onto them.

When her frightened eyes met his, Sam leapt to her feet and raced toward him. She didn’t hesitate; she slammed into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “You’re here! You’re here,” she said against his chest. “What’s happening?”

He released the blaster’s foregrip to wrap an arm around her, holding her trembling body close. “We’re going to get you out of here, little terran.”

“Here’s the spare armor,” Sekk’thi said over the commlink.

Arcanthus glanced back to see the ilthurii in the open door of the hovercar. Plasma bolts from below struck the underside of the vehicle and filled the air between it and the building. She tossed the spare set of combat armor in through the broken window.

Drakkal’s voice came over the comms. “We have to break off. We’ll land and try to clear an exit for you.”

Sekk’thi pulled the door closed, and the hovercar banked away and darted out of sight.

“All right.” Arcanthus allowed himself a moment to press his lips to Sam’s hair and take in her tantalizing scent. “Are you hurt, Samantha?”

“No.” She pulled back and looked up at him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know calling you would—”

He pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her. She’d said she gave her visitors a false name and hadn’t told them anything about him. He believed her. She’d protected him despite her terror, despite knowing she was in terrible danger, despite barely knowing Arcanthus. She’d kept quiet. She’d refused to betray him.

That meant more to Arcanthus than he could ever express.

“You did the right thing.” Though it pained him, he released her and stepped back, crouching to lift the spare armor. “We need to get this on and leave, all right?”

She looked at the armor with a concerned crease between her brows and nodded. “Okay.”

“I will answer what I can once you’re safe, Samantha,” he said as he helped her into the armor; it was a bit large for her, giving her small frame an almost childlike appearance—which was enhanced by her large, frightened eyes—but it would do. Once the armor was in place, Arc held up one of the auto-blasters. “Do you know how to use this?”

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