He drew on the presence of his mate. He could hear her. He could feel her. He knew exactly where she was.
Hold on, my love. I’m coming.
He heard the human, its footsteps drawing near until it was right beside him, probably preparing to extract more of his tissue.
Rykal fought his body, which didn’t want to move. His damaged nerve endings felt as if they’d been shredded and dipped in molten lava. It would be so much easier to give up and allow Kaiin’s embrace to take hold.
But the thought of Arin spurred him on. He forced himself to move, his left arm shooting upwards and grabbing whatever he could of the human. He was weak, and he almost failed to form a decent grip, but his fingers found purchase, curling around the fabric-encased upper limb of the human.
All Rykal needed was a little bit of protein, blood, or tissue, anything organic that could feed his hungry nanites, to stop them from eating him alive.
He squeezed hard and felt bones cracking underneath his fingers. Through excruciating pain, he forced his sharp claws out past the mutilated flesh of his fingertips, digging through cloth and skin and flesh, drawing blood.
The human screamed. Rykal dug harder, and precious life-giving blood started to run down his arm, coating his raw flesh. Nano-particles swarmed to the surface, drawn by thepromise of sustenance. They began absorbing the blood, drawing energy from it as they retreated back into Rykal’s body.
The human struggled, but Rykal held firm, even as two other humans entered the room.
His insides were on fire. The nanites were repairing the most essential organs first. His heartbeat went from a faint flutter to a steady thud. His lungs expanded, drawing in vital oxygen. Blood started to course through his body. Neural connections in his brain were repaired. His olfactory nerve was replaced, and now he could smell the coppery tang of the human’s blood. A piercing sensation hit his eyes, like a thousand shards of glass, as the nanites worked on his retinas and eyeballs, restoring sight.
Hands were on him, trying to restrain him. Someone thrust something towards him, trying to inject him, but Rykal batted the offender away with his free arm, sending them crashing to the floor. He could see a little now. The room was blindingly bright. He craved darkness.
Bit by bit, the world came into focus, and bit by bit, Rykal grew stronger.
The human’s screams were growing louder. Someone was trying to place restraints on his legs. He kicked blindly and was rewarded with another scream.
Rykal sat up and gasped, his world coming into sharp relief.
He was alive, and he was angry.
Because they haddaredto touch what was his. They’d intended to violate her.
Unforgivable.
As he squeezed harder, drenching himself in human blood, he turned to look at her, and what he saw made him blind with rage.
She was strapped to a bench, wearing only a flimsy white gown. The garment was pushed up, revealing her sleek thighsand a glimpse of her delicate sex. She couldn’t move, not even to preserve her modesty.
They’d rendered her utterly helpless, and to Rykal that was a crime far worse than all of the deaths he was about to cause.
His chest heaved as he looked at her face. Sympathy cut through his pain and anger. She was his precious female, more precious than all the stars combined, and she should nevereverhave had to endure what they’d just put her through.
He wished she didn’t have to see what happened next, but time was scarce. The humans would send backup, and he needed to be in good enough condition to fight.
He would have to become like the Ancestors of old and do as the savages of the Lost Tribes once did when they encountered a particularly hated enemy.
She was staring at him, her blue eyes wide, the tracks of dried tears visible on her perfect cheeks.
Unforgivable.
But her face was serene; she was the very image of the Goddess herself, and her eyes were filled with love and warmth, even though he must appear monstrous right now. She was the calm in the center of the storm.
Her lips parted, and she silently mouthed one word:go.
The way she looked at him and that simple word meant everything in the Universe.
Do what you have to do. I’m on your side.
Rykal sat up, dragging the screaming human with him. The man was losing a lot of blood, and Rykal was benefiting. The human started to go limp as Rykal squeezed, growing stronger with every waking moment.
