Page 173 of Filthy Royal

“I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.” She tried again.

“The tunnel gets narrow here.” Damien spoke over her. “Stay alert. We need to make it to the tunnel branch before they head us off and come at us from both sides.”

“Damien—” This time, Anya spoke.

“Don’t you start.” Damien cut his sister off just as fast. “You were supposed to stay safe in the shuttle.”

“When have I ever done what I was supposed to do?”

Muffled laughter from Maddox. And, despite her fright, Scarlett was again seriously impressed. Anya was inspiringly fearless.

“I swear to hells.” Damien, on the other hand, didn’t seem as impressed. “Either one of you offers to sacrifice yourself again, when we get clear of this, you won’t sit comfortably for a long while.”

Absolute silence.

“Finally, some smart thinking,” he growled. Then he pulled her along faster, the pack of supplies over his shoulder jostling, the laser at his waist bouncing with every long stride, and the cloak fluttering around his shoulders.

Without warning, he pulled up short. Cursed.

“What’s wrong?” She tried to peer around his broad chest to see ahead.

“They’re approaching from the other side too. We’re hemmed in.” Damien swiveled, his gaze dropping to her before locking on Maddox. “Plus, there’s too many of us to hide. We’ll make our stand here.”

Scarlett wanted to beg his forgiveness, apologize to the others too.

She’d known. Known she was too big a threat to Damien and those he cared about to risk staying with him.

But now was not the time for straightening out such things. Instead, she simply braced for what was coming and did her best to keep her gift in check.

If it escaped now, there was every chance it would explode out of her, hurting not only the guards, but everyone in the vicinity. Maybe even bring down the ceiling and kill them all.

As if hearing her thoughts, the walls shook, and rocks plinked from above.

“Scarlett.” Damien dropped the supply bag. Two warm hands cupped her jaw, tilting her face upward. “Breathe, baby.”

She did.

Damien exchanged a brief silent exchange with Maddox, which she didn’t understand, but the kid must have because Damien released her, and the two Alphas turned as one to place their backs to her and Anya.

“Under the cloaks.” Damien held one out so she could duck underneath.

Without hesitation, Scarlett slipped beneath. The Alpha guards chasing them were twice her size and strength and, like Damien and Maddox, had claws and fangs and lasers. Plus, she needed to focus on slowing her breathing.

Unfortunately, it became immediately clear that Damien’s cloak was not impervious to a fireball explosion and a slide down a long metal cable. It no longer seemed able to blend entirely with the wall behind, making her appear more like a dark lump. Still, glitchy or not, the cloak was better than nothing.

Damien jumped up and used his horn to crack the nearest crystal embedded in the wall. It flickered and went out, casting the surrounding area into deeper shadows. “That will help.” Damien’s gaze shifted to his sister. “Get under Maddox’s cloak. Hurry.”

Anya, however, remained where she was. “I can fight too.”

A muscle twitched in Damien’s jaw. “Under. The. Damned. Cloak.”

Proving she could read her brothers well, Anya delivered a mutinous glare, then ducked beneath Maddox’s cloak and blended into the tunnel wall.

Still, Scarlett wasn’t sure about this plan. Maxheim’s invention might hide them, but it wouldn’t stop the guards from crashing into them in the narrow tunnel.

She wasn’t foolish enough, however, to throw out questions at this juncture, especially with that muscle still ticking in Damien’s jaw.

The two males used their bodies to corral her and their sister backward until their spines struck the wall. Still without speaking, Damien and Maddox stood between them and the approaching danger.

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