Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Z ade

Zade removed two weapons from his tactical sling and shifted his stance, drawing the viderbeast’s attention away from Ashlyn as his wire rope activated. He coiled the whiplike metal and waited for the beast to charge.

For the space between two heartbeats, fear whispered inside his mind. The viderbeast was the largest he had ever seen. A female, which meant her exoskeleton would be thicker, her venom more deadly than her male counterpart. The female viderbeast was most volatile when carrying young. Judging by the viscosity of the venom oozing from the beast’s mouth, this one had been protecting juveniles when C’Nar had his people capture it.

Countless battles flashed through Zade’s mind as he locked the fear behind stone doors inside his mind. He could not afford the distraction, could not worry about Ashlyn, about losing her, about what she would choose after they completed his final challenge, not if he wanted to survive.

On Caldor, the viderbeast was respected as a deadly predator and left alone. But there were many worlds where the viderbeast, or its cousins, were used for sport.

Worlds like Cappra.

“Another reason to kill that vemrin .” Zade kept pace with the viderbeast as it moved toward him, its bulging eyes shifting under the light. C’Nar would have to be dealt with eventually. Zade was not fool enough to believe that once the challenge was over, and he settled with Ashlyn on Cappra, the Ubrion family would accept defeat. No. They would send assassins after him, try to take her. Subjugate her. Place new chains of obedience around her ankles and turn her into a true slave.

He would die before he allowed that to happen.

Better yet, he would annihilate the entire Ubrion clan to keep her safe. Every cousin, every male old enough to threaten his mate.

The finality of the decision settled his nerves as he sidestepped a spurt of venom the viderbeast shot at his head.

Momentum carrying him, he rolled onto his side, close to the beast, and whipped his wire rope at the viderbeast’s legs.

The creature screamed as the wire wrapped around the base of one long leg. The viderbeast pulled against the wire, seeking to free itself. The resistance caused the sharp wire to cut through the beast’s leg. The bottom half of the limb fell to the ground as dark green blood erupted from the wound.

The arena erupted in chaotic screams as Zade continued his roll, coming up onto his knees and repeating the attack on one of the viderbeast’s back legs.

He needed to hobble the twelve legged creature on one side, make it lopsided, off balance, slow and clumsy, before he dared get close enough to use his sword. Two down, four to go.

Enraged, the viderbeast charged. Zade ran toward the Councilors, content to see several scramble from their seats in terror as the viderbeast raced toward them.

Seconds before running into the wall, Zade turned and raised his blaster, firing directly into one of the viderbeast’s bulging eyes.

The fluid filled cavity exploded with a loud pop.

Zade scrambled out of the way as the viderbeast slammed into the arena’s sidewall directly below the seated Councilors.

Dark green blood gathered in large droplets and fell in a steady pace to the arena’s floor.

The creature leaned its giant body against the wall for long seconds, assessing its prey, adjusting to the pain of its injuries. Thinking.

Moving with deliberate slowness, so as not to agitate the creature into another charge, Zade coiled his wire rope and slipped farther out of reach. He would draw the creature back toward its cage and use the heavy metal box to his advantage. Out in the open, it would be much more difficult to surprise the creature with another attack. He could use the metal cage as a shield of sorts, attack and retreat, draw out the fight, until it lost enough blood to weaken it.

He'd wounded the beast, now all he had to do was be patient. And stay alive.

Zade made his way to one side of the cage, relieved when the viderbeast followed him, its attitude cautious, calculating as Zade circled the cage. The beast stayed with him, walking in continuous circles around the exterior.

Bored by Zade’s tactical approach, the crowd grew restless. Some had the audacity to shout obscenities, jeering and taunting him. Zade ignored them and their calls for violence. He refused to risk his life unnecessarily. If he fell to the creature, Ashlyn would suffer. That was unacceptable.

He risked a glance to where Ashlyn stood, safely on the edge of the arena, as far from the fight as she could get.

Relief flooded him that she had obeyed him in this. Hope surged in his heart at the vulnerability and concern in her gaze when their eyes met. Did she love him? She had not spoken the words. Every time she submitted to him in bed, surrendered her body into his keeping, he needed her more. Needed to hear her beg. Needed to hear his name on her lips. Needed to look into her eyes as her body exploded with pleasure. He ached to complete the claiming in truth, to feel her hands on his flesh as she claimed him in turn, rubbed maju paste over his markings, declared to all that she had chosen him, judged him worthy.

The viderbeast stopped moving, its large body lumbering to a halt at the front of the cage. For a moment Zade thought the creature might choose to go back inside its cage.

Keeping his eye on the creature, he positioned himself so he could see both the viderbeast and Ashlyn. His mate. Everything about her was soft and beautiful, untouched by war, compassionate and kind. Everything he was not.

“Watch out!”

Zade leaped into action before Ashlyn’s scream fully registered. He sidestepped and rolled, the viderbeast’s spiked leg so close, so fast moving, the air whistled past his ear.

Fulack! The monster was nowhere near as hobbled as he’d hoped.

In the distance, he heard C’Nar’s glee as the Cappran shouted an order. “Lights!”

Suddenly the light around the creature disappeared. All Zade could see was a giant shadow shifting and moving, staying just outside the ring of light that made Zade a bright target.

Lifting his hand to his tactical sling, he removed and activated his flamethrower. He pulled the trigger and a spout of bright blue and white fire streaked into the darkness.

The viderbeast screamed in frustration and shifted away, deeper into the shadows.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. For the first time, Zade knew how it felt to be stalked. Hunted.

Ashlyn watched in horror as the viderbeast remained just out of range of Zade’s weapons. The fight had been going on for what seemed like forever. The nasty creature was down to eight legs, while Zade bled from multiple cuts. Venom from its pinchers dripped onto Zade’s shoulder and burned a hole through his tunic. The monster slowed, but so did he.

She clenched her fists and forced herself to remain where Zade had ordered her to be. She wasn’t a gladiator, and this reminded her of an ancient deathmatch in the Roman coliseum, one the gladiator wasn’t meant to survive.

Fuck C’Nar Ubrion. Fuck Cappra. Fuck the Council. Forced to watch the man she loved be systematically hunted by a monster beyond her worst nightmares, she hated them all.

At least Zade seemed to be holding his own. She caught him checking on her more than once and loved him more every single time. How could he even think about her when he was facing that... thing?

Since C’Nar had yelled ‘Lights!’, the whole arena’s lighting changed every minute or two, one second glaring so brightly she could barely see, the next plunging her and Zade both into a deep red that made her feel like she was literally in hell.

The lights were flashing on and off like a giant strobe light, making their movements appear convulsive and choppy.

Zade used the metal cage to his advantage, keeping the viderbeast on the opposite side unless he moved to the corner for an attack. The strategy could work, attack and retreat, again and again, until the creature was too weak to continue, although the crowd’s rude boos and taunts made it clear they wanted a full assault. Blood.

Death.

Assholes. All of them. She didn’t care if it took Zade three hours to let that thing bleed out, or three days. C’Nar’s stupid test hadn’t included a time limit, so they could all suck it. All that mattered was that Zade survived.

Heart pounding, she held her breath as Zade made his way to the corner of the cage and whipped his wire rope toward the viderbeast.

She jumped up and down in silent celebration when the wire wrapped around one of the viderbeast’s legs, slicing it clean off like a hot knife through butter. Gross.

“Another one bites the dust.” That made seven legs left. More blood. Drip. Drip. Drip. The sticky green stuff smelled like a mixture of rotting meat and chemicals. Maybe the chemical smell was the deadly goop dripping from its mouth. Everything about the monster was terrifying. The bulging eyes—make that eye––since Zade had already destroyed the other one, the spider-like legs, the creepy way it moved, those teeth. The fact that the monster was the size of a double-decker bus. Fuck.

She never, ever, ever wanted to see one of those things, ever again.

The small gun she held had become slippery. Her hands were sweating, and if she wasn't careful, she wouldn't be able to maintain her grip. Carefully, she wiped the sweat from one palm onto her pants, then transferred the small weapon to her dry hand so that she could do the same with the other, all the while keeping her eyes glued to Zade and the injured viderbeast.

Suddenly, the creature lifted its two front feet and began to climb on top of the cage.

Oh, no! No! No! No!

She watched in silent horror as Zade backed away from the cage just as the viderbeast completed its ascent and looked down on the arena from its new perch.

Zade kept moving away from her, toward the wall opposite her current position.

The flashing lights made the entire scene surreal, like watching a black and white movie in slow motion. The creature followed Zade’s movements, it’s back toward Ashlyn.

What was that? She squinted, trying to see better. What. The. Fuck?

Something moved, emerged from the creatures’ back, and slipped down the side of the cage, something about the same size as Zade.

Was that a baby? A viderbeast baby?

The smaller black creature looked almost identical to its mother. The only difference was that along its back, instead of being covered in long needle-like spikes, there were dozens of pinkish gray bumps, like festering sores, ready to pop. The baby’s pinchers opened and closed, shiny with fresh venom, as it made a series of quiet clicks and buzzing noises. Shit . Was it communicating with its mother from where it crouched on the ground?

If she hadn’t been watching, she wouldn’t have noticed the baby viderbeast now creeping along the arena floor.

On top of the cage, the giant mother viderbeast reared up on its hind legs and sprayed venom at Zade, forcing him to scramble out of the way.

Shit. Did Zade see the baby? Did he know he was fighting two of them now?

Ashlyn looked up at the Councilors’ seats to find C’Nar’s menacing stare locked on her, the sadistic smile on his face one of pure evil.

He knew. He knew the viderbeast was carrying a baby around, kangaroo style! Knew when the mother was in trouble, the baby would emerge and turn the tide!

Shaking with rage, her knuckles turned white as she gripped her gun tighter. Cheater! Liar! Fucking asshole!

The large viderbeast jumped from the top of the cage to land within striking distance of Zade.

Zade hit the creature with his flamethrower. The beast didn’t even slow down.

With a curse that made the crowd roar with bloodlust, Zade tossed the flamethrower aside and drew his sword to block a long, black leg that swung at his head.

On the ground, the baby slipped silently across the floor like a phantom. Soon, it would be behind Zade. Even though the baby was significantly smaller than its mother, its mouth was big enough to take Zade’s leg out from under him. Or bite off his head.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What should I do? What can I do?

Zade had instructed her to stay out of the fight, out of his way, but she couldn’t just sit and watch him get killed.

Zade’s first warning that something was amiss came from the sudden roar of the crowd. Instinctively, his gaze darted toward Ashlyn to make sure she was still safe on the other side of the arena.

Except she wasn’t. She ran across the open space and leaped onto the side of the metal cage. Stunned, Zade watched her sprint, not farther from the fight as he'd expected, but straight into danger. If the grisly creature saw her, it would launch itself at her and he would be unable to reach her in time to save her.

Distracted, Zade didn't notice the viderbeast dart forward, its pincers slicing through his tunic, drawing blood. Ignoring the pain, he refocused on the one act that could keep Ashlyn safe. Adrenaline pumped through his veins like wildfire, giving him the extra strength and speed needed to execute a swift downward cut with his sword.

A trickle of blood stuck to his tunic as one of the creature’s pincers fell to the floor with a thud.

Green liquid spurted from the creature’s face in time to its heartbeat. He’d struck an artery.

Zade's relief was short-lived as the viderbeast lifted its head and screamed, the sound worse than metal scraping metal, a primal shriek of rage and pain.

“Zade!” Ashlyn screamed his name from her perch atop the cage, her heart in her throat. “Run!”

She lifted the crossbow he had given her with deadly purpose and fired directly at him.

He dove for the ground as the bolt flew past, slightly off to his left.

He turned his head just in time to watch the bolt hit the ground in front of a second viderbeast, a yearling, judging by its size, and so close to him the hot blast wave shoved his body several feet back.

He rolled to his feet and shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears, the viderbeast’s deadly feet striking the ground where he’d been seconds ago.

Fulack! He hadn’t seen the yearling. Ashlyn had just saved his life.

“Run!” Ashlyn yelled again, her delicate form perfectly balanced on top of the cage’s metal beams as she moved with an agility and grace that shocked him.

She lifted the crossbow and took aim, a second bolt screaming through the air to lodge in the adult viderbeast’s side.

The resulting explosion sent gore spewing over his head. Seconds later, chunks of its flesh splattered the floor around him, pelting him with green goo.

The giant creature shrieked, diving toward his position.

Fulack!

He twisted to the side, barely escaping disembowelment by the creature's pincer-like jaws, only to see the smaller one racing toward the cage, quick and uninjured, toward Ashlyn.

“No!” With strength born of desperation, he charged the large viderbeast, dodged the snapping teeth and pincers and darted under the vulnerable, segmented body. Sword raised, he roared with rage and determination as he sliced the creature open from neck to midsection.

With maddening slowness, the viderbeast fell onto its side. The creature drew a few labored breaths, its chest heaving and shuddering. A guttural death rattle escaped its gaping jaws, a tell-tale sign the gruesome creature was in its last throes.

Cursing, Zade crawled out from beneath the beast and watched, in horror, as the yearling reached the edge of the cage and began to climb toward Ashlyn.

“Ashlyn!”

Ashlyn sighed with relief when Zade emerged from under the mother. She didn’t have time to celebrate because the baby found her and climbed on top of the cage faster than she would have thought possible.

From a distance, the baby had seemed so much less threatening than its mother. Face to face with a monster nearly twice her size, she didn’t have time to think.

The young viderbeast launched an attack. Half its spindly legs plunged through the cage to dangle in midair as it lost its grip on the thin metal bars, its body clumsily starting and stopping as it fought for purchase. Slipped. Lost its balance. Found its footing. Lunged again.

Ashlyn balanced with ease, leaping from bar to bar. She’d never been more grateful for her years of dance as she balanced on top of the cage, staying just out of the viderbeast’s reach.

Zade shouted her name, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off the threat in front of her to see if he was okay. She’d watched him slice open the belly of the giant viderbeast and crawl from beneath it covered in green gore. She had to trust him to finish his fight. She had her own monster to deal with.

Crossbow pointed at the baby’s head, Ashlyn’s finger held steady on the trigger as she watched the poor thing focus on its dying mother. The cry that erupted from its throat brought tears to her eyes. These creatures were intelligent, the young creature’s distress obvious.

Maybe it was a scary, hideous monster, but it hadn’t asked to be here. Hadn’t started the fight. It was just a baby losing its mother.

Damn it. It’s just a baby. I don’t want to kill it.

She would never forgive C’Nar Ubrion for this, not if she lived a million years.

Resigned to killing the young viderbeast, a coldness settled into her limbs, calmed her mind and steadied her hand. She had to time her jump perfectly, aim for the throat or what looked like a soft spot at the base of its neck.

Dancing across the top of the cage like a professional tightrope performer, she lured the small creature into position.

The viderbeast darted forward.

Ashlyn leaped into the air, right over the creature’s head, and shot her crossbow in midair.

As she landed, the bolt lodged into the monster’s neck and exploded, rocking the cage. Forced to her knees by the blast, Ashlyn used her free hand to regain her balance and lifted the crossbow to fire again.

“Ashlyn!” Zade shouted at her from the base of the cage. She glanced down to find him staring up at her with a look she’d not seen before… pride? Maybe a little surprised?

No one could be more surprised than she was.

The severely wounded baby made a sound that could only be described as a whimper as it dragged itself toward the edge, toward its mother.

Tears gathered in Ashlyn's eyes at the obvious suffering, her heart twisting. How many shots did she have left? She couldn’t let the poor thing suffer.

Feet light as air, she jumped into position in front of the viderbeast and fired a bolt directly into its open mouth.

The small viderbeast slipped over the edge and fell to the ground in a limp heap. Dead. Just like its mother.

“I’m so sorry,” Ashlyn whispered to the dead creature, tears springing to her eyes. C'Nar is responsible for this. I promise, he's going to pay for this, pay for every life he's taken, every person he's hurt, every creature he's destroyed. Damn that slimeball. Damn him.

“Ashlyn.” Zade stood staring up at her, his expression unreadable.

She was too tired to smile or argue about anything that had just happened. Was he going to yell at her for not following orders? For putting herself in danger?

“You saved my life.”

Their gazes locked in silent communication. Ashlyn smiled as she realized it was over. Test complete. They’d won.

Joy died on her lips when she glanced up to discover Councilor Dur’vok and C’Nar Ubrion walking toward them, C’Nar looking far too pleased with himself.

She climbed down to stand next to Zade as the two aliens approached.

Shit. Now what?