Ew. Woman, grow a spine.Mandy wanted to slap some sense into Uftah, but she had a feeling that wouldn’t do any good. Besides, Haen or Fleen had already been there, done that.
Mandy wondered if Skehl had survived and hoped he had. For some reason, he’d saved her. And she couldn’t be more grateful. Now if only she could beat some sense into the Franciscos.
Her head throbbed. Too many concussions the past few days. She knew better than to call on her inner fire when the pain grew so intense. She’d tried it once years ago and blacked out, nearly suffering an aneurism. Never again.
So she had to rely on her wits. And her mates. That they’d come for her warmed her inside. She loved them. But she didn’t like them very much right now.
What Skehl had said about young kept poking her to pay attention. So she’d looked deep inside herself. And felt it. That spark of something delightful tying her even closer to Ussed’s wonder. And her barbarian boyfriends.
But really? After all that talk about trust and affection and how they’d never take a woman’s choice?
A freakin’ baby?
Talzec walked into the camp, a towering figure of fury and power. Even the humans stepped back, giving Morlo and Talzec the spotlight. “It is time. The Nasuhl will be no more.” His tattoos flashed, and his eyes glowed golden, no white orb left. The freaky look upset the Nasuhl as well.
Good.
“You have proven that you have no honor. No worth, nothing to contribute to anything or anyone.” Talzec smiled, and she shivered at the menace she could feel. “I will do to you what I did to Daveen.” He lifted a fist. “I will smash you to nothing.”
“You can try.” Morlo grinned and accepted the pulser Garnuk handed him. He aimed it at Talzec, who shrugged. But when Morlo fired, everyone was shocked to see the alien tech work outside the tech barrier.
Talzec staggered as the laser shot his shoulder, leaving a scorched graze in its wake.
Scared out of her wits, Mandy tried to scoot away, but two humans suddenly came up on either side of her and pulled her back with them. She was now hunkered in the middle of the Franciscos and their pulsers. Damn it.
Talzec shocked them all by laughing. An inhuman shriek came from outside their encampment. The sounds of running footsteps, the roar of an animal, and then all hell broke loose.
Talzec sounded his own battle cry before rushing at Morlo.
Morlo tried to shoot him again, but Talzec used his xechelln bracers to deflect the pulser’s blast. Warriors poured into the encampment, and Mandy found herself cut off from the others as the humans tried to escape.
Then her mates appeared. Zehn grabbed her and shoved her behind him, putting himself between the pulsers and her. Lore joined him, a solid shield of barbarian bodies who wouldn’t withstand the tech.
“I’m so glad you guys are back.” Mike swaggered forward, a huge grin on his face. “I owe you, fuckhead.” He held up his hand, made a fist, then opened his palm.
And lifted Zehn off his feet and slammed him into the tree behind him.
