Chapter 14 #4
She could have no understanding of just how soothing her words truly were.
“I will try and remember that.”
“And I will attempt to remind him,” Brexin added, a gleam in his eyes.
The sense of pride in the Galerian people was evident in their tactics of war. As we swarmed the forests around us, trudging through the snow, there was no method of stopping them, an urgency in their step. We were over three hundred strong, prepared to fight to the death.
And we didn’t have to wait long.
A single crack of twigs and I knew we’d found them. Throwing out my hand, there was instant silence, every one of us crouching down to wait. Within seconds we heard footsteps, maneuvering in manners I knew well.
Trained military soldiers, prepared for anything.
Except…
The first sight of them sparked something from deep within, the kind of predatory need that refused to be denied.
I was no longer the man who’d fought to save his wife and child from the hands of savage mercenaries, sent as assassins to eliminate any concept of governmental threat.
My family had been taken, the blame placed on my shoulders, labeling me a sick and vile creature.
Every man who’d served with me in the Marines had been killed, taken out by the very same group. I was the only one left.
And I’d lost my family in an effort to keep my humanity. No more.
For tonight, I was nothing but a beast.
And I would kill.
I threw my head back and roared, my legs pumping as I rushed forward and within seconds, I saw him.
The man who was my maker.
The man who’d stripped my humanity.
The man who’d set me free.
The moment I reached Dr. Forrester, jerking him into the air and preparing to end his life, I heard her lilting voice calling me.
Reminding me.
“I love you, my Viking. You are my savior. Never forget.”
And somehow, I heard the voice of my wife mixed with that of Cassia, the love of my life. And in those few seconds, man and beast collided, and I knew only one could win the fight.
Boom!
* * *
Cassia
I stood outside the warehouse, my nerves on edge. There were no guards flanking the massive steel door and no one to tell me that I was disobeying. The request from Steen had been without notice but sent in as an urgent call.
Two massive hands gripped my shoulders, perhaps holding me in place. Their touch sent shivers dancing down the length of my body. As always. My masters knew just how eager I was to solve the mystery. What was being held behind closed doors?
My heart fluttered as one of the three men I loved walked out of the shadows, his massive body taking long strides as he conversed with Steen. I was desperately in love with Erik, the incredible man who’d stolen my heart. He caught my eye and the look on his face was nothing short of primal.
We’d been lucky on the day of the attack, only losing two of our own.
We’d taken several prisoners, soldiers who quite frankly wanted a better life than what they’d had, their information proving to be vital.
Steen was in the process of developing a new relationship with members of the Republic Government from Earth, hoping to form an alliance.
Gone were the traitors who’d lied based on their own greed, Dr. Forrester’s regime in shambles, many scientists, doctors, and investors arrested. Perhaps within months there could be peace between us, allowing for a shared ownership of Earth Two.
Perhaps…
No one had seen Rowena’s advance, her hatred toward Dr. Forrester far mightier than that of the rest of us combined, the single shot ending his life.
She’d continued her diligent work, tweaking and finally perfecting the cure for the wretched disease. A future for all of us seemed possible.
And my sweet Erik. He would forever be changed, as would all the hybrids, the new species capable of extreme violence, but so far, humanity had prevailed.
Our nightmares had ceased, allowing us to discuss all the wretched things that we’d been through.
I’d cried learning about his wife and child, the horror of his incarceration, but I hoped that the child I was carrying would give him the kind of joy he and my other lovers deserved.
Even though I would always worry given my findings.
If there was a God, I could only hope he was looking down and smiling. This was a new era, providing hope for love as well as prosperity.
Just revenge.
That’s what had occurred in the forest on that dark night. A true beast had been exterminated.
What I would never forget was the moment I was able to look Dr. Forrester in his eyes.
For a few precious seconds, there was no one else around but the two of us.
I knew in my heart he could tell how angry I was, the hatred I had almost all-consuming.
I’d wanted nothing more than to be the person killing him, slitting his throat and watching the blood drain out, but in the end, I’d been able to see the look of raw terror in his eyes.
I could never admit how amazing that made me feel, freeing me from the mental chains he’d kept me in since I was so young. Perhaps I was stronger because of what I’d had to endure, but I could have never become healed unless the monster was dead.
The Galerian future wasn’t secured, but we would be together through every difficulty, every obstacle that faced us.
Steen patted Erik on the arm before moving toward the set of doors, other Galerians flanking his side.
“We’ve always had hope in our hearts. Now, we can provide a future to those on our home planet.” Steen’s voice was clear and steady, even though his eyes were shimmering from tears. As he nodded, standing back while the doors were opened, I held my breath.
The ship was massive, damage repaired over a course of several months and all in the hope that one day they could return to Galerius in order to save their own.
For the first time in my life, I was as proud as I was happy.
Proud of surviving.
Proud of humanity.
And proud to be a member of the Galerian clan.
The End