Page 219 of A Soul to Guide

“He’s from Earth and a friend to her. Let her speak to him.”

She just knew Mericato had narrowed his eyes at her, especially when his translator said, “So you’re the reason he’s here. Of course. You disappear for weeks and bring back a hostile pet.”

A deep and booming snarl reverberated off everyone’s armour, making it sound hollow and echoey. Her ears darted back, and she gripped Cykran’s neck tighter.

“Just let her through!” Cykran shouted at the terrifying noise Merikh made. “Before it’s too late. We don’t have time to be arguing.”

“Her safety is top priority. I’m not letting her through to speak with some beast when we have no idea what it is or what it’s capable of.”

“Let me down,” she quietly bit as she lowered her legs.

When he released her, she headed for Mericato.

“A little to the right,” Cykran stated, just like Merikh often did for her.

She diverted slightly.

She patted the man’s chest plate, grabbed him by the shoulder straps, and lifted him to his toes – since she was a little taller than him.

Then, morphing her features into the fiercest stare she could muster, shegrowled,“Move.”

His laughter was quiet and muffled.

“Fine,” Mericato said, his voice raw, strained, and so raspy it was difficult to understand. It was the first time she’d ever heard him speak, and the pain of him doing so was obvious. “You want to die, go for it.”

She let him go in surprise, and backed up to give him room to use his hands.

“Three runs in,” his translator started when Mericato must have signalled with his hands. “Disarm to let her through.”

Cykran patted her on the back to lightly steer her.

“A path’s opened up, Rae. Do you want me to come with you?”

She shook her head, telling him to stay as she put her hand out and made her way through the air to make sure it was empty. She knew she’d passed the soldiers when their sounds ceased from all around her and instead shuffled from behind.

“Merikh,” she gently called, knowing exactly where he was by the rapidly flickering sparks.

“Raewyn,”he said with a growly groan. His relief was so obvious, it was palpable.

She came a little closer, thankful he was coherent enough to speak. It meant it was safe to approach.

She wished she’d been able to see what came next; it might have stopped her from screaming. Green sparks came from him, just as the soldiers behind her gasped.

Merikh grabbed one of her outstretched hands, yanked her forward, and then tackled her to the ground. She didn’t know when she’d started screaming, but it was muffled by his chest the moment he laid down on top of her.

Her knees were forced into a bent position when they pressed into his stomach, her arms trapped between them. Merikh curled his entire body around her. His forearms covered her arms with his hands on top of her head, while his legs covered her sides with his feet supporting her backside.

“Raewyn!” Cykran’s panicked shout echoed.

“This is why we don’t allow civilians to get involved! Everyone stay back. If you attack it, it might turn on her.”

“I’m okay!” she exclaimed.

She knew what this looked like, since she’d been in a similar defensive position below him before. She no doubt imagined he looked like a big spikey ball with her hidden inside protectively.

Sounds beyond him were quieter, and it allowed her to hear how frantically his heart was beating, how short and shallow his breaths were. Acute whines burst from his torso, right before his head darted to one side and he let out a feral, bursting roar.

He pulled her in tighter, then tighter still as his head whipped the other way to snarl in warning.

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