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“I do not think so. You are not giving orders anymore,” she growled as she lowered her blaster away from his mate’s head. “This is my vengeance. Do I kill you first and enjoy the cries of your mate grieving for you, or allow you to watch her die?”

Extending her arm, she leveled her weapon at him thoughtfully, her face a mask of cold calculation. All that mattered to her was making them suffer—and so she toyed with them.

Veral gritted his teeth. If the gods he questioned were willing, he would die first to give Navesha the opportunity to save his mate.

A shot rang out from a plasma rifle, the beam neatly slicing Malraha’s hand off. A shriek of pain left her as her weapon splashed into the thigh-deep water around her legs. She stumbled as another burst, this one from an Argurma assault blaster, slammed into her shoulder. Veral grinned as he strode forward, ignoring the whistling shots that came from Navesha and Gargoluk as they emerged into the clearing, taking shots to hurt and weaken.

“Hinaxi!” Navesha snarled as she took one shot after another. “Enjoy your pain!”

Approaching the injured Argurma who still, despite her injured state, held Terri tightly in her grasp, Veral was surprised when a growl of a dorashnal took him by surprise. He had forgotten the beast!

He turned as the small female rushed him, her vibrissae fanned out erratically in desperation. A lower snarl responded, making the female draw to an uneasy stop despite Malraha’s screamed commands seconds before Krono careened out of the shadows and collided with her. His mouth closing around her neck, he ignored the stinging slaps of her vibrissae as he dragged her down to the ground viciously. Drawing one leg over her back, he pressed her firmly down beneath him, muscles straining with tension as he awaited command.

Veral gave Malraha a chilling smile, his lips pulling back fully from his teeth, his mandibles spread wide. There was nothing left to save her.

Her body jerked as another blast hit it, this one taking off a chunk of her vibrissae. Blood streaked down her face from the side that had lost part of her cheek bone and her ear. She was a quivering, bloody mess as she glared defiantly at him, her claws tight around Terri’s throat.

“I will still win,” she snarled through blood bubbling from her lips.

“No. You will die,” Veral growled as he removed a blade from his side and struck deep into her gut.

Malraha gasped in pain but only for a second. Terri’s tendrils ripped through whatever had confined them and drove up, forming a long spike as they punctured the Argurma’s jaw. The female’s head snapped back, a rattling sound escaping her.

“When you want to kill someone, bitch, kill them. Don’t talk at them about it,” Terri sneered.

Never had he loved his female more.

Jerking her arm down, she released her symbiont from the female’s body at the same moment that Veral released his blade and they watched the body drop into the water at their feet. His arms immediately snapped around his mate as she sagged against him.

“Harahna?” she called out as she struggled to escape his embrace.

He did not let her go but turned to where their daughter was left to see the large Farhal scroop her up off the ground. He crooned to her, bouncing her gently in his scarred arms as Navesha leaned in close, holstering her weapon with a look of profound relief on her face. Glancing up, the male nodded his head solemnly.

“She is unharmed,” he assured them.

“Oh, thank fuck,” Terri gasped as she crumpled back against him. A shiver stole over her, but she forced herself to stand up straight with his help as she glared down at the submerged body.

“Veral, my love,” she said icily. “You know those grisly trophies you always love to gift me?”

“Yes, anastha?” he purred.

“I think I want it this time.” She turned and brushed her lips just over his mandibles joint making his cheek twitch. “Make it beautiful for me to have a place of honor among our little collection. I want to be able to spit on her every time I get the urge.”

Veral chuffed, a thrill of pleasure running through him. He would show his mate his adoration by providing her the finest skull once the small colony of vansik that he kept encased in the engine room finished with their job. The little insects enjoyed dining on flesh just as much as his mate enjoyed their taste.

“For you, anastha,” he purred as he reached down with one arm, his other clasping Terri tightly to him, and grabbed ahold of the remaining vibrissae on the female’s head.

With a savage yank, the already partially severed head snapped away from her spine and came free in his hand as he straightened.

“It’s not over yet,” Terri cautioned, her warm brown eyes meeting his.

“Not yet,” he agreed. “But soon.”

33

Terri huddled close to her mate, enjoying the feel of his arms around her as he held her, like he would never let her go. They stood together in the comm station of the compound facing the image of Featha, who stared back at them solemnly.

“Are you certain?” she asked.


Tags: S.J. Sanders Argurma Salvager Science Fiction