Page 49 of Rescuer

She met me halfway up the beach, storming over to me.“Whydo your brothers keep attacking me?First Ilk tackles me to the ground, then this fool…” she pointed her thumb behind her, “… tugs me underwater.Why can’t you guys just be…normal?”

Without a word, I wrapped my arms around her and yanked her against me.I expected her to struggle, to keep yelling at Sahcor, but instead, she melded against me, sighed loudly, and wove her arms around me in turn.I growled my approval at her affection, unable to keep the smirk from my face.

Over the top of Tori’s head, I watched Sahcor, his fingers twitched against his sides and his jaw clenched.He still hadn’t said a word, but he was looking at me like Ilk had when we had first reunited.Sahcor was always more patient than us, his control over himself rallying all our brothers, but he was quieter than Ilk in his control.He was an observer who would study the world around him before saying anything.

“What’s wrong, Sahcor?”I asked.

He shook his head, a ridged motion, and clenched his jaw further.“You shouldn’t be here.There is too much danger already.There are other females.”

Tori pulled from my grasp then.“Others who came with me?Yes, I know.Who was with you?Did you see a female like me?Samara?Misha?Are they safe?”

Sahcor eyed her, repeating the words with a growl.“There areothers.”

“What do you mean?”Tori was yelling again, and Sahcor continued to stand there and take her abuse, his shoulders sagging slightly as though he felt he deserved it.

“He means...”Tori whipped around, her short hair splashing droplets over her face as another female approached.Her hair was dark and curly and fell above her shoulders, but where the sun hit it, it glinted with hints of a deep red.“Other than the four of us, there are other girls.The Ghaal have them.I’ve seen them.”

Tori broke away from me and moved toward her, wrapping her arms around the other female and crushing her against her chest.“Misha, thank fuck you’re okay.”

Misha’s face remained expressionless, and I glanced between her and Sahcor.Something was wrong.I couldn’t escape the sense that danger was near, and snarling, I reached out and grabbed Tori’s wrist, tugging her away from Misha and back against my body.

My angry growls drowned out Tori’s protest.“Something is wrong,” I said simply, taking a step back.

“I’m safe, Tori, but you shouldn’t have come for me.”

“How could I not?”Tori cried before looking at me.“Vitri?”Tori glanced between Sahcor and me, then to Misha, her brows drawing together until she realized we all shared the same grim expression.“Can someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?”

Abruptly, Misha jerked, her spine straightening before her shoulders were pushed back in a violent motion.She dropped to her knees with a cry of pain.Sahcor rushed to her side as Tori called her name, but I didn’t let Tori go.

“What’s wrong?”Sahcor asked Misha, brushing her hair from her face.

Misha sobbed as she looked down at her arm, a small lump visible under her skin I hadn’t noticed before was now flashing intermittently with an orange blinking light.“I think they know she’s here,” she said, her gaze flickering to Tori.Forcing herself to her feet, Misha offered Tori a sad glance.“The Ghaal tagged me, Tori.I can’t stay near you.They’ll use me to find you.I’m sorry, you need to go.”She took several purposeful steps away from us, shaking her head.“I’m okay, but please leave.Don’t follow me.”

With that, she turned on her heel and sprinted down the beach.

“Misha!”Tori screamed her name, yanking against my hold on her.“Let me go.”

Sahcor’s look was stony, and when he looked at me, I almost recoiled at the rage in his eyes.“Are you going back to be with our brothers?”

“We were all going to meet and—”

“Go.I’ll get Misha, and we’ll catch up to you.We’ll find a way to remove the tracker.”

“Sahcor—”

“Go,”he roared and took off after Misha.

Tori stood watching Sahcor and Misha’s retreating forms, still squirming against my hold on her arms.“What do we do?”

“We do as he says.”

“We can’t just leave her.”

I worked my jaw as it clenched.“Sahcor will get her.”

“Misha said there were other girls…” Tori sounded breathless, no doubt trying to put her thoughts together as I was.This hadn’t been the reunion she had hoped for—all hugs and laughter and a small feast.

I swallowed, trying to gather my thoughts when all I could think of was getting Tori far away from here and keeping her safe.“We’ll go to Ilk.We’ll gather the brothers.”

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