Page 3 of Orange Tundra
Let me out,I urged, pressing against his mental walls.I can find them. I can make this right.
Zirc's thoughts were a storm of confusion and pain. Images of Roqs flashed between us—his scent, his touch, the promises they'd whispered in darkness. Memories of Brynn, too, though fainter. And beneath it all, the raw wound of betrayal.
Axad stood before us, his beast cowering behind his eyes. The stench of guilt rolled off him in waves.
"I'm sorry," he was saying, words filtering through Zirc's distraction. "I tried to tell you before, but?—"
I seized the moment of hesitation. Zirc's control slipped, and I surged forward, claiming our shared body. Bones cracked andshifted. Fur erupted across skin. Power flooded through muscle and sinew.
I roared at Axad, fangs extending. His beast recognized me immediately, shrinking back in submission. Good. He should fear me.
The Silver Beast was free.
"What the hell just happened back there?" a new voice shouted from the entrance.
The Elder. Perfect timing.
I whirled away from Axad, seizing my chance. Elder Travre had tricks that could bind me again, and I refused to be trapped. Not when I needed to find my mates. Not when I had to see for myself what Axad claimed about Roqs.
Zirc might trust Axad, but I trusted only what my senses could confirm. And beneath all other priorities lay another need—to find my lost half-brother. The pull of blood called to me, a song I couldn't ignore.
I charged past the shocked Elder, savoring the flash of fear in his eyes. We had never met face to face before. My fangs would leave quite an impression.
Rolling away from his grasping hands, I put distance between us, claws scraping against stone. The memory of chains made me snarl. Never again would I be bound!
Elder guards materialized from every corner of the chamber. They formed a loose circle but hesitated to approach. Smart. I was glorious and wild—the Silver Beast unleashed.
Behind my eyes, Zirc remained lost in his hurt, giving me unprecedented control. I bared all my teeth in savage delight and dropped to all fours. Instead of retreating, I charged directly at the Lead Elder.
He pulled a black cloth from his cloak. My eyes narrowed at the glint of crystal woven into the fabric. A trap. The seers had warned him I might break free.
It didn't matter. The rage that had festered since our parents' deaths demanded release.
Someone bumped the Elder hard from behind. I pounced, missing my intended target but catching the other as the Elder rolled away.
Drixad.
Fear shone in his eyes as my weight pinned him to the ground. I had no desire to kill him—just to escape. I shoved my fangs near his face in warning. He lowered his eyes, body trembling beneath mine. My anger rumbled beneath the surface, but I held back.
He would live today. I valued courage, and why kill another manasty when there were so few of us left? Our species teetered on extinction's edge—a fact that Zirc's diplomatic mind and my primal instincts agreed upon.
"Now!" someone shouted.
I sprang away just as the black net descended, missing me but catching Drixad. His body convulsed as the crystal's energy coursed through him. I leaped to the ceiling, claws finding purchase on ancient beams. Up was my only escape route now.
The Lead Elder had vanished, but I knew he would pursue. He was Silver Tribe too—he wouldn't let one of his own run wild.
"Move! Clear the area now!" The Elder guards shouted to innocent bystanders. Chaos erupted as manasties scattered, some transforming in their panic.
Just as I neared the main exit, two hulking Purple Beasts blocked my path. Rage and Rules—mates, warriors, and currently obstacles between me and freedom.
I roared a challenge. This was going to hurt, but pain was temporary. Separation from my mates was unbearable.
I launched myself at Rage, the larger of the two. Rules immediately bit into my shoulder, teeth sinking deep. Pain shot through me, but I maintained my grip on Rage's thick neck.I could anticipate their moves—we'd trained together often enough when Zirc was in control.
Never stand between a beast and his mates,I projected, letting my thoughts brush against their minds.Unless you seek death.
My claws missed Rage's heart, slashing across his chest instead. The beast beneath me roared in pain. Rules attacked with renewed fury, driven by the instinct to protect his mate.
