Hit.
It took the two of them to take him to the ground.
He tossed them about and slammed them into each other. They continued to wrestle on the ground. Wrathin managed to leap up. One came at him, swinging his blaster like a club. Wrathin grabbed the weapon and snapped it out of the Terran’s hand. With a hard hit, the Terran went down.
Blaster fire made him jump.
Veta had shot something and missed.
He glared at her.
She shrugged. Went back to her fight with the leader.
He did the same. It didn’t take much more to overpower the other soldier. He turned just in time to see Veta get hit by the fourth soldier, from behind.
Rage boiled in him—harder and more powerful than he’d ever known. Like a bomb of emotion exploded in his chest. And power.
Power, fueled by the rage, erupted.
“No!” Wrathin cried and took off.
Everyone stopped. He saw the whites of the two remaining humanoid’s eyes as he slammed into the one who hit Veta.
Crushed the man.
Broke his neck.
Turned just in time to see the last one—the old man—holding Veta.
Blaster at her head.
“You’re fond of her, eh, mech?” he said.
Wrathin growled. “You will not harm her.”
Veta looked disoriented at first, weak, and barely standing.
“What did you do?”
“Rung her bell. She’ll be fine in a second. Then she gets to come home. If that’s what the Emperor wants to do with her.”
Veta’s eyes focused, and her gaze darted around like she was trying to figure out what to do. “Really, old man?” she snapped. “Me?”
“I use what’s available. And it seems your little Rhimodian likes you.” He glanced at Wrathin and grinned a malevolent expression. “Does he know who you are? What you are?”
“What makes you think he would care,” she said.
Wrathin stepped forward. “I care.” And he did.
A great deal.
Far more than he expected. Emotions surged through him like a crazed river, harder and faster, churning up sensations he’d never imagined before.
Veta glared at him. He was sure he’d somehow said the wrong thing.
The soldier laughed. “Do you, knowing that she’s a whore for the Empire?”
Wrathin blinked. Whore? He knew it was a Terran insult, but he was unsure what it meant exactly.
