Page 130 of Theirs to Crave

My vision swam, dark splotches fading in and out. I bucked again, my head cracking against the wall, the pain of it snapping my teeth shut. They cut into my tongue, and I tasted copper.

“Your powers don’t work on me,” Arvel taunted. “And your protectors aren’t here. You are weak. Pathetic.”

I spat the mouthful of blood into his face, baring my teeth in a gory smile as it dripped into his eyes.

He dropped me, cursing.

Darting forward, I plowed my fist into his junk. Weak, my ass.

Arvel howled and swiped at me, but it went wide as he stumbled, half blinded by my blood. He curled in on himself, groaning, twisting to shield his beleaguered balls from any more attacks.

I grabbed his tail in both hands, heaving upwards with the force of my entire body. Something crunched, he screamed, and I ran.

The room we were in had two hallways leading from it, one on either side. I had a split second to make a decision, and I bolted past him through the hall on the left. It didn’t spill me out into the familiar warmth of the jungle, and I cursed.

My feet slapped the metal floor. I sucked in ragged breaths, my chest aching, unable to hear anything over the thunderous pounding in my head. Had to get away. Had to hide. My loves would come for me. They would. I just had to survive.

I passed a door. Closed. I tripped over something in the murky darkness, stumbled, and slapped at the panel outside the next door. No response—it stayed dark and the door didn’t budge. I slammed my fist into it, whimpering.

Behind me, Arvel snarled, his claws scraping on the floor.

I ran, bounced around a corner, and sobbed at the sight of an open door, dim light spilling from within. I took in the room all at once. Filthy-looking web nest things lined the room, each one more than ten feet across. The desiccated corpse of the third bug lay sprawled in a heap to one side, blood dried dark and sticky in splatters around it. A wall of shelves blocked part of the room from sight, piles of crap spilling out like it’d been ransacked. In the far corner, a ragged tear split from the ceiling to halfway down the wall, narrow, but wide enough to let light in.

Wide enough to let me out. Fuck, yes!

I took a single step towards freedom. The screech of Arvel’s claws against metal and the thud of his big body careening around the corner stopped me in my tracks. Shit, no time! Ispun, sprinting for the shelves. There had to be something I could use—

My hand closed around the grip of the snake gun.Please fucking work, I prayed, spinning to face the doorway. I saw Arvel’s eyes, glowing in the shadowy hall, then a rush of movement as he pounced, slamming me back against the shelves. My fingers spasmed, and then there was nothing.

Chapter 37

Revik

That motherless fuckingka’vek! Arvel would not see another sunrise. I would kill him for this. If he hurt her...I snarled, my heart roaring with rage.

I’d gut him and pull out his insides while he screamed.

I leapt, gripping the branch only long enough to push off again, leaves blurring as I streaked past. The only thing that mattered was the next step, the next leap, my race to the sky rock that had brought Estrayuh to us unstoppable.

Guilt gnawed at me. I should have killed Arvel when he’d attacked Estrayuh before. But Litha’d taken care of it, and I’d thought that would be enough. He’d always been a miserable ass. I hadn’t thought he was a suicidal one.

I’d heard his mutterings in the village. Superstitious, paranoid ramblings. When I’d confronted him—after he’d stared too long at Estrayuh one day—he’d hissed through the blood running from his nose that if I “had any honor left,” I’d “take her to that forsaken sky rock and never look back.”

I was a fool. Too proud, too complacent. And now Estrayuh paid the price.

I wanted to roar—to release some of the fear and fury eating me from within, but I was close now. I didn’t want to panic Arvel into doing something irreversible.

I needed stealth. Needed to kill him fast and hold Estrayuh in my arms. Needed to tell herDadeewas sorry for not protecting her better.

My mates would be angry with me for leaving without speaking to them. But I would rather deal with their anger than Estrayuh’s death. If I was right about where Arvel had taken her, but too late...I’d never forgive myself.

I caught a hint of her scent. Just the barest trace, but unmistakably myLelesha. I forced another burst of speed from my already straining muscles, shooting forward, only to roll, scrambling, bouncing off a tree trunk and clawing the branches in my rush to turn around. When I finally came to a stop, panting, I stared down at the small figure stomping through the bushes beneath me, streaked with blood, her fists tight as they swung by her sides.

“Lelesha!” I pounced, diverting myself at the last moment so I landed in front of—rather than on top of—her.

“Revik!”

Estrayuh threw herself at me, her body shaking. I scooped her up, falling to my knees. My purr was almost as loud as the thanks I sent to the spirits.

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