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Syrus could have made it worse. He could have bitten into the dying man while he was still breathing, torn at him with his teeth, tasted that immense fear firsthand on his tongue.

But with that taste would have come knowledge and memories, and there were certain memories Syrus couldn’t bring himself to consume. He didn’t want to see Luke and Colby’s abduction from this twisted source. He could not bear to witness this man’s enjoyment of his mate’s fear and helplessness.

Syrus would hear those truths from Luke himself, and no one else.

But dead flesh didn’t tell any tales.

So Syrus held the dying man as he struggled and choked and eventually went still. Held him until the life force was gone from his body.

And then Syrus did what he’d sworn to himself he would do.

He ripped the dead man apart.

27

LUKE

Colby was sobbing in Luke’s arms.

It was obviously too much for him, and no wonder. The cold, the hunger, the boredom of the boat and now the…disturbance that had just occurred. So no wonder he kept wailing the words, “Wan go home,” over and over.

Luke held him tight, rubbing his little back through his puffy jacket. “It’s okay,” he soothed. “We’re okay. We’ll be home soon.”

The words came out thick as tears traced down his own cheeks, but oh well. At least there was truth in them. They would be making it home.

It had made Luke’s heart stop, that surge of salt water and blue scales and strength. He hadn’t been able to fathom what was happening in the moment. There had been the shock of a cold spray and the harsh sound of two bodies colliding brutally, and then their captor had just been…gone. Tossed over the side, him and his gun both.

Luke had picked Colby up and held him as close as he could as the boat rocked and tipped dangerously. But they hadn’t capsized, and John had never reappeared. Nor had Syrus yet, but Luke wasn’t worried. He knew what was happening under the water. He knew that man was never coming up again.

He was glad. He’d never been so glad of anything in his life.

Luke had never wished for anyone’s death before. He wouldn’t have thought himself capable of such a thing. But his tears weren’t from fear or regret or sorrow for a life lost. They were from the immensity of his relief.

“Hush, sweet boy,” Luke managed to say now. “Everything’s okay. Wasn’t that amazing? A dolphin so close he even splashed us.”

Colby hiccuped, then pulled back enough to look up at Luke with tear-filled eyes. “Doh-phin?”

“Yeah, bud,” Luke smiled down at him, wiping at his son’s wet cheeks with his free hand. “Didn’t you see his tail?”

Colby looked around. “Where?”

“Where is he now?” Luke repeated. “Back in the water. And the—the other man went home.” Luke take advantage of the moment of calm and held up a piece of the jerky he’d found in the dry bag before all the chaos had occurred. “And I have a snack for you.”

Colby took it from him wordlessly and shoved the end of it into his mouth. It was probably too tough for his little teeth, but his eyes widened at the taste and he chewed on it happily enough. Thank God it wasn’t the spicy kind, or the tears would have started all over again.

They sat and waited, and it wasn’t long before Luke started shivering. Or maybe he’d been shivering all the while and hadn’t noticed; it was hard to say. He only knew he was wet and freezing and the protective adrenaline that had been keeping him unaware was finally wearing off. It was just lucky Colby had been between Luke’s knees and had avoided the brunt of the water.

Luke supposed he could have started driving the boat to shore—he thought he knew the right direction—but cold as he was, he wasn’t leaving without Syrus.

Time passed strangely. The sudden break of all that building tension left Luke feeling foggy and confused. It could have been forever, or only a few minutes, before Syrus appeared.

It was an eerie sight, his head coming up slowly in the water, almost human and yet not, with his feathered ears and blue-tinged lips.

Luke had never been more happy to see anyone in his life.

“Sywus,” Colby said around his mouthful.

Syrus gave Colby a sorrowful, closed-lipped smile, but his sharp teeth still flashed when he spoke, “Hello, my brave little Colby.”