Once he was some distance from the raft, he surfaced and cocked his head to listen. The ship was flying low to the ground, which meant they were looking for something… or someone. They were most likely hunting for the source of the emergency beacon or whoever had triggered it.
The sky overhead was bright with the colors of dawn, which meant the ship had most likely started its search recently. Was this the only one? Or was it part of a larger force? He thought of his brothers and the females in their care.
“Good hunting, my brothers,” he spoke the words softly. Today would bring challenges to them all.
He swam toward the largest boulder he could see, crossing most of the river in the process. The water had carved away part of the underside, creating an overhang he could hide beneath. With only his head above the surface and solid rock overhead, he hoped to avoid showing up on whatever scans the ship ran. This was what the verexi had trained him for, and it gave him no end of satisfaction to use those same tactics against the ones the scrawnies sent against the fa’rel.
Despite not being able to see it, he knew when the ship was nearby. The rumble of the engine was so loud that he was certain it was almost directly overhead. There was no way they’d miss the bright yellow raft floating on the river. He cursed his decision not to use the fabric’s other shape so they could shelter under the trees overnight. Then its high visibility coloring would have blended in with the yellow and orange plant life. At the time, he thought it would be better to sleep out on the water, away from any potential predators. It would also have made for a faster start this morning.
Still cursing his luck, he waited and hoped the crew of the ship were incompetent.
When he heard the ship circle around and come back his way, he swam hard for the nearest shore. If they couldn’t hide from this new threat, he needed to see where they landed. Then he could get Maddison to safety and do what had to be done.
It didn’t take him long to find a tree tall enough to do the job. He leaped into the branches, using the clawson his hands and feet to grip as he launched himself from limb to limb.
He reached a decent vantage point before the ship dropped out of sight. Given the size of the vessel, it wouldn’t be able to land on the riverbank. They’d need more room than that. He estimated they’d come down in a clearing about half a kilometer away.
With their location firmly fixed in his mind, Havoc descended, bounding from branch to branch at breakneck speed. He hit the ground hard enough to drop to one knee before taking off at full speed. He needed to get back to Maddison and find somewhere safe for her. Then he would live up to the name he’d chosen for himself all those years ago, when dreams of revenge were all that drove him forward.
He reached the shore across from the raft and saw Maddison peeking out from beneath the cloth shelter. When she saw him, she smiled and waved, her relief at seeing him again as clear as the sky above. He swam across to her, noting that she had dressed and packed up their few belongings while he was gone.
“I heard them circle back, but I couldn’t tell if they flew away or landed somewhere. My hearing isn’t as good as yours,” she said once he was within earshot. He untied the raft and started swimming back toward the far shore, towing her along behind him.
“They landed, but it will take them some time to get to us. I don’t intend for us to be here when they arrive.”
She didn't say anything more until they reached theother bank. Once he had helped her to shore, he retrieved his clothes and dressed as quickly as possible. It wouldn’t protect him from an energy bolt, but it was better than nothing.
“Should we take the raft?” Maddison asked.
“No, that’s most likely what they saw. If we leave it here, they’ll have to clear the area before they approach, which will cost them time.”
Maddison looked up at him, her dark eyes solemn and sad. “You’re going to kill them.”
It wasn’t a question, but he answered her anyway. “Yes.”
“It’s them or us. I understand that. You don’t have a choice.”
He saw the hunch of her shoulders and the shadows in her eyes. “I don’t. I will do whatever it takes to keep us both alive. That doesn’t mean you have to like it.” Fuck, he’d been right about one thing. Maddison was far too gentle. But that’s why she needed him. He could do the things she couldn’t. This is what he was made for, and he was damned good at it.
She took his hand, her fingers cold despite the warm morning. “I hate this. Why is killing the only option? This isn’t fair. You should have had more choices.”
He heard the echo of her pain in those words. The anger at the choices she had not been allowed to make. That was something else they had in common, but this wasn’t the time for talking.
He wrapped her small hand in his and held it. “Thisismy choice, Maddi. I will always choose to protect the ones I care about. That includes you.”
He saw the shimmer of tears in her eyes as he slung his bag over his shoulder and then gathered her into his arms. One kiss was all he allowed himself. One taste of her lips. Then he picked her up and set off at a run. He had to find a safe place for her to hide while he dealt with the mercenaries.
His mind raced even faster than his feet. If he died today, would one of his brothers claim her as his mate? The idea made him growl in fury. If one of them dared…
But he had bigger issues. If he died, Maddison would be alone out here. How long would she survive on her own? Not long. And even if she did, she didn’t know how to reach the safety of their base camp. There was no time to give her instructions, and no way to warn her of all the danger she’d face if she tried.
If he died protecting her, it wouldn’t be enough. He had tolive.
The spot he found for her was closer to the landing site than he would have liked. He wanted her far from the danger, but this was the best option they had.
The trees in this part of the wood were massive, and so were their roots. One of these had used its size to displace a boulder, pushing it up and off the ground on one side. There was now a gap between the rock and the root, forming a space that would give her shelter and make her hard to detect either by scan or visual sweep.
He crawled in as far as he could to check for dangerous creatures but found nothing of interest. Good. He backed out and pointed to the opening. “Hide in there. Stay quiet. I will come back when it’s safe.”
