Page 64 of Monstrous Baby
:Pure annihilation,:Lohr replied.:The larger the KORE, the more widespread the devastation will be. It could certainly be enough to destroy your planet and all life on it.:
Well fuck.
“I’ve spent entirely too long searching for you, sweetie.”
Ugh. I fought not to throw up. I’d forgotten the disgusting, demeaning, fake endearments he’d used.
“I can’t allow your planet to be destroyed now. Not when there may be more like you out there somewhere.” He dropped his voice to a whisper, his lips brushing my ear, making my stomach heave. “Especially your little girl. Oh, she’s going to unlock incredible new research opportunities for DSC. If you’re very, very good, Natalie, I may allow you to reproduce another dozen for us to study.”
“Never,” I ground out, fighting to keep my eyes open. I met Holly’s terrified eyes, willing her to understand. “He’s still. Just. A man.”
A distraction. That’s all I need. In the darkness spreading through my vision, the blue flames still wavered, thin and dim but visible. The rest of my squad waited on the other side of those flames, just begging for a chance to get tooth and claw on our enemies.
All I have to do is bring that ring down.
:Take it from him, Natalie,:Axxol purred deep and low in my mind.:The power’s fucking yours.:
Threads of deep purple wound through the blue flames. Mrion fragments. Sirian cells. Change the frequency.
The color.
As soon as I made the connection, everything shifted and clicked into place.
Pale but determined, Holly reared back and kicked Snyder as hard as possible in the balls. His breath rushed out on a guttural sound of pain. If I could breathe, I would’ve laughed.Sucks to have a fragile humanmalebody, huh, Snyder?
Lohr chomped down on Mr. Smith and swallowed the briefcase—along with most of his arms—in one big gulp.
While I pulled on the blue ozone, shifting it to the most beautiful shade of purple in the entire universe. My favorite color. Pure energy flowed into me.
Only a few feet to my left, the BGR jerked his head up with shock as his jump ring dissipated. He opened his jaws and started to lunge forward to devour me—but his body staggered. His Sirian—mrion—cells flowed to me. I tasted him. Felt him. Knew him inside and out as his cells marched merrily into me.
Squad X192B, designation BGR, name Cazr.
I didn’t need an extractor pen to drain him.
I’m the Mother.
He threw himself backwards, scrambling frantically, falling onto his back. Which made it extremely easy for two screaming Tri-Rs to leap onto his belly, slicing and clawing on either side of his big abdomen like they were racing to see who could get to the chocolate center first. While Rizan swept low and sliced sawtoothed blades across his neck so deeply his head flopped over to the side, barely attached by a few strands of skin and ligaments.
The Big Rig himself snapped mighty jaws shut on the man strangling me, his teeth passing so close goosebumps danced on my bare skin. Snyder didn’t even have a chance to scream.
Waving bloody stumps around, Mr. Smith opened and closed his mouth repeatedly but couldn’t make his brain work. Finally he toppled over, still looking for his precious briefcase.
General Waverley stood like a statue, his eyes wide, face pale, trying to remain completely still. Everything he knew about T-rexes came fromJurassic Park. Though I guaranteed staying still wouldn’t save him if Axxol decided to eat him too.
The arm was still around my neck. Lifeless fingers spasmed, still clutching at me. Revolted, I slung the severed hand aside. Snryx’s implements coiled around me, keeping me on my feet,his eyes narrowed with concentration as he checked me for injuries.
“I’m fine,” I gasped out. “Now.”
Kroktl swept me up against him, his chest splattered with blood, but I didn’t mind. Wait, there’d been two raptors. Surely not…
Stunned, I turned my head and stared at Akylla. Her head came up to my chest. She’d already gotten several feet taller while I’d been locked inside the jump ring.
:Younglings grow extremely fast,:Kroktl said.:Especially when they’re feeding well.:
Her wings were clamped down tightly to her sides. She came a step closer but couldn’t quite meet my gaze. Shy in a way my joyfully feral baby had never been.
I held out my left arm toward her, my other still clutching him. “My baby girl’s growing into a deadly beautiful dragon.”
