Chapter 18
I have to get away from Tessi, from everyone, before I lose my shit. The shift takes control as the monster inside fumes over what the Lunas said to me during the ropes course.
How can anyone wish for someone to die like that? Tessi hasn’t done anything to them.
It’s because she’s with us, my Shifter replies.
Or they think she is. It isn’t right or fair to her. If only they knew the truth about our people and hers, the Isonians, the war…
They won’t listen because they take any new information as threats to their beliefs. They dig their heels in and ignore us.
I lumber along the river’s edge, circling back into the trees of the distant area of the race grounds beyond the mountains.
It didn’t take me long to get back here on all fours.
But it is peaceful, away from the chatty crowd of people and other alien males that are more than I care to deal with.
Some of them are here, trying to find hope amid war.
A few racers are elites in search of their limelight, like Carielle.
Rorsar and the others will keep Tessi safe. I just need a moment to vent my anger before I turn on my own just to teach them a lesson. I am so tired of the infighting! It is destroying our world!
I stop on the rocks, close my eyes, and try to ground myself with the feeling of the cold stone, the easy movement of the water, and the sound of the grasses in the light breeze. But the anger runs too deep.
The federation has prevented me from taking the one thing I need, the one piece that can pull my world together again. I can’t go home empty-handed, which means I better just not go home.
Azrim will smirk and sulk off into the woods like I’ve let him down like he expected…again.
I can’t get Rhysan’s whimpers out of my memory. The last of our kind, of our protective pack, is in real danger of dying off.
Why did they all have to go on that mission? Why did they all have to die?
Rage floods my veins in hot waves. Muscle tenses. My hackles spike. Darkness surrounds me like fog. Rock shatters beneath my paws. I slowly sink into the vibrating stone turned sand by my power.
A featherlight touch graces my back. Startled, I whip around, back up, and snarl.
Tessi jumps out of my way this time, ducking when I swipe my claws through the air.
I stumble backward, my Shifter terrified of what we’ve done, yet again. He hides inside my skin, and I slump back in upright form. “Tessi!”
She lifts her hands. “I’m okay. I was ready this time.”
“Shit, you scared the hell out of me.”
She walks up to me and offers me a hand. “Come on, my protector can’t be skipping meals.”
“I just needed a moment.”
“I understand.” She smiles down at me. “I also understand the impulse to defend yourself.”
It doesn’t make sense why she’d come after me or how she’s gotten to me so fast. Then I see Rorsar shaking out his fur before standing upright just inside the treeline.
“You rode him out here?”
Tessi nods. “Now, please, come eat with me.”
I open my mouth to respond, but I’m just not sure it’s the best idea. I’d do anything for her, but I’m wondering if she’s safer without me, especially with the Lunas threatening her because they think we’re an item.
She steps forward, takes my hand, and tugs. A wheezing laugh slips out through her plump lips. “Fuck. At least help a little. You’re huge.”
I reluctantly get up.
Before I can object, she pulls me into a hug. “Thank you for giving me a ship. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I have to make sure you can protect yourself if I can’t.”
Her small hands brace my sides as she steps back. “I have never felt as safe as I have with you. Please don’t run off. It makes me think I did something wrong.”
“You didn’t.” I draw her against me, already missing the feeling of her body against mine. “Sometimes, I need to walk away so I don’t hurt others when I snap.”
“I saw it.”
And she didn’t run? “That was just a twitch. When I’m focused, I can wreck entire mountains. Azrim, too.” I bury my face in the soft strands of her hair.
And I’d rather eat her than with her.
My Shifter perks up, begging for a taste, but I stuff him back down inside.
Not now.
“Zorin,” Rorsar calls to me, lowering his hand from his earcom. “Davarok and Kren are going to trade out with Onidus and myself. “Viriden is speaking with Earth’s command right now. He would like to do the assessment after the pool party tonight.”
“Can we just skip that?” I don’t think being in just swim trunks around Tessi is a good idea.
Davarok shifts upright beside Rorsar. “Nurse Fion is ready for Tessi now, unless you want to go on the creatures tour.”
I look down at Tessi, who shrugs.
“I’d love to know more about what’s going on with me and what has the Nebs so interested,” she says. “If it gets us through this so I can get on with my life, I’d like to do that.”
Kren stalks out beside Davarok, sits, and waits.
“Alright, to Viriden’s ship then, for testing. Please climb on,” I say to Tessi. “And no more riding other males.”
She gives me a look that says what else was I supposed to do?
I drop to all fours, and she climbs on, hugging my neck and wrapping her legs around my middle. As we bound back toward the complex, I tell my M-pack about what happened.
Three of the Lunas in the ropes challenge threatened Tessi’s life, said that since she was with me, that she needed to be taken out to stop the bloodline. I’m sorry, I had to go on a walkabout. I didn’t want to risk snapping their necks and getting pulled from the mission.
Thanks for the update, brother. Rorsar replies.
Let me teach them a lesson, Kren replies. I am anxious for some fresh meat.
Davarok agrees. Let us handle them.
Just warn the pack please. They clearly don’t know or sense what we do about Tessi or the Myndrous. And that could end up digging us into a much deeper hole.