Chapter 6

Chapter 5

It had been a long day, and when her stomach rumbled to remind Beth she hadn't eaten, she left the lab and its disturbing occupant in search of food.

The corridors were deserted as she walked to the mess hall, the lab guards following her. The heels of her shoes rang on the stone floors as she mulled over everything she'd discovered.

As she walked into the mess hall, the cacophony of voices and clatter of utensils hit her like a physical wall. The room was packed with Izaean males, their large, muscled bodies honed by a lifetime of battle and hardship.

She hesitated at the threshold, suddenly unsure of herself as they turned toward her. She felt like a fish in a bowl. At some unseen signal, though, the Izaeans turned back to their food. Her breath punched out of her lungs in a sigh as she hovered on the threshold. What was she doing here among these hard men? They'd been researching the mutation for years… what was one lone human woman going to do that they couldn't?

Before she could lose her nerve and retreat, a pair of young boys materialized in front of her, their eyes wide and their whole bodies practically vibrating with curiosity.

They couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen, still lanky with youth, but already she could see a hint of the men they would become one day. It was in the breadth of their shoulders and the grace of their movements. Like predators just learning to hunt and kill.

"Are you the human female?" the one on the left blurted out, his voice cracking with excitement.

Her smile slipped free. "Yes. I'm Beth. What are your names?"

"I'm Kal," the first boy said, puffing out his chest with pride. "And this is Tor. We've never seen a human before. Is it true that your females are as fierce as your males?"

She chuckled. "Well… I like to think we can hold our own, but just like with the Izaean, it varies from person to person. Some women are fierce, and some have other strengths."

The boys nodded sagely as if she'd just imparted some great wisdom. Tor leaned in, his brow furrowed.

"Do you have any special abilities or anything? Like… can you shoot lasers from your eyes or read minds?"

The question had her heart stuttering in her chest, her thoughts flashing to Banic and the bombshell he'd dropped about the ferals and their telepathy.

She swallowed hard and forced a smile to her lips as she shook her head. "No, nothing like that. We're just regular people…"

She had been going to say "like you," but Tor's odd eyes reminded her that these teens were Izaean, which meant they weren't regular people. They had the Blood Rage mutation like everyone else here bar her. She wondered what their mutations expressed as but then instantly felt guilty. They weren't lab rats for her to poke and prod at and interrogate with questions.

"Sorry. No special powers. I make a mean sponge cake, though…"

That obviously wasn't impressive enough, as disappointment flickered across the boys' faces. She heard a commotion and glanced over to see a group of kids at the other end of the hall. An older boy was keeping three of the little ones apart while a man served them stew.

"Those are the new bloods," Kal explained, wrinkling his nose. "We're supposed to be helping take care of them, teach them the ways of the Izaean."

She turned back to Kal and Tor, not mentioning that they were abandoning their duty to talk to her. "That's a big responsibility. You must be very proud."

They straightened under her regard, their narrow chests puffing out.

"We are," Tor said quickly. "They're the future of our people. It's our job to make sure they grow up strong and true."

The words made her shiver, reminding her of the harsh reality of life on Parac'Norr. These boys, barely more than children, were being trained to kill and kill. Innocence was a luxury they couldn't afford. But they shared a sense of purpose as well, which humbled her. The Izaean might be ruthless and brutal, but they were also deeply loyal to each other, bound by the mutation they all carried. So what had gone wrong with the ferals? Why were they exiled?

Kal's eager voice pulled her back from her thoughts. "What are human females like? Are they very different to us?"

She considered the question, trying to find the right words.

"In some ways, yes. Humans are a lot smaller than the La—the Izaean," she corrected herself. "We have different hair, eye, and skin colors like you do, and we come in all shapes and sizes. Some of us are warriors, like your males, but far more are not. We each have our own strengths and talents."

The boys listened, their eyes wide.

"You said some are warriors… Do they fight?" Tor asked, his voice hushed. "Like, in battles and stuff?"

She nodded. "Some do, yes. Human women can be just as brave and fierce as males when we need to be. But we also know the value of being kind and compassionate, of looking after and protecting those who can't do it for themselves."

The two boys exchanged a glance.

"We heard a rumor," Kal said slowly, as if testing the words while they both watched her, unblinking like a pair of snakes. "That soon, we'll be allowed to start courting mates. To find females to claim as our own."

Her brow shot up. "Courting mates? Aren't you a little young to be thinking of things like that?"

Tor shrugged, defiance in the set of his jaw. "We're old enough to fight and die for our people. Why not old enough to take a mate?"

"Finding a mate is a big step," she said gently. "It's not just about claiming someone but about building a partnership, a bond of trust and respect. Especially when it comes to human girls. It takes time, patience, and a whole lot of work. But when you find the right person, someone who sees you for who you truly are and loves you for it… it's worth everything."

They went quiet, their expressions serious. She could almost see the wheels turning as they considered what she said.

Kal cleared his throat. "Have you... they say… that Banic is here."

"He is," she said carefully. "I've been studying him, trying to understand his mutations."

Tor shuddered, his face suddenly pale.

"They say he's a monster," he whispered. "That he's killed more males than any other feral, and that he drinks the blood of his enemies."

Her stomach turned, a hint of bile in the back of her throat as she thought about Jaldon. They didn't need to know what he'd done to the other feral or why.

"Banic is... complicated," she said slowly. "It's true… he's done lots of horrible things. But there's more to him than just violence and bloodshed. He's not a mindless beast but a male with his own thoughts and feelings as well as his own sense of right and wrong."

It just didn't look… quite the same as everyone else's.

The boys seemed unconvinced.

"He could hurt you," Kal growled, his fists clenched as he stepped forward. "We could protect you, keep you safe from him."

Her heart melted, even as a wry smile tugged at her lips. They were taller than she was, yes, and pitted against human teens of the same age, there would be no contest. But against one of the most feared and deadliest males on Parac'Norr... it was both endearing and absurd.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "I appreciate that. But I'll be all right. Banic won't hurt me. I trust him."

The words felt funny in her mouth, even as she said them. Which was weird. But they were right. She did trust Banic, despite everything she knew about him. She knew he wouldn't hurt her. How she knew that, she had no idea, but she knew she was safe with him.

Before she could speak, a hand landed on Tor's shoulder, causing him to jump. Looking up, she saw one of her guards, Sy, standing over them, his eyes narrowed.

"That's enough, pups," he growled. "Leave the female be. You have duties to attend to."

The guys muttered apologies and hurried away quickly. She smiled, watching them go. They were so cute. She kept that thought to herself though. No teen boy, whatever species, wanted to be described as "cute."

"Younglings," Sy muttered, shaking his head. "More courage than common sense. Banic would tear them apart without breaking a sweat."

She opened her mouth to defend the boys, to argue that they deserved more than a dismissal and scorn. But something in Sy's face stopped her, a glimmer of understanding in his odd-eyed gaze. He looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

"Let me grab you some food and get you back to your quarters," he said at last, his voice gruff. "Long day today. You need your rest."

Nodding, she suddenly felt the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her. The events of the day, the revelations and horrors and glimpses of hope... It was all too much, a tangle of emotions that left her raw and reeling.

She let Sy lead her out of the mess hall, carrying a loaded tray. Her mind whirled with thoughts of Banic, the boys, and of the mutation that had sentenced them all to this harsh, unforgiving world...

?

He was a monster in a cage, and she was the beauty sent to tame him…

The metal cuffs that bound him clinked against the wall as he moved, waiting for Beth to come into the cage. His gaze tracked her avidly as she walked in the door, a medical bowl held in delicate hands and Zeke hovering at her elbow like an unwelcome and malevolent shadow.

The other male's presence grated on Banic's nerves, setting his teeth on edge, and his hands curled into hard fists. The ends of his fingers ached with keeping his claws sheathed. It would be so easy, so draanthing satisfying, to break free of these restraints and show Zeke exactly what a feral was capable of.

But he wouldn't. He couldn't. Not with Beth watching him through wary eyes, her breath coming just a little too fast for the relaxed and calm look on her face to be anything other than a mask. He kicked himself mentally. She was afraid of him, and he couldn't blame her.

The look on her face when he'd told her about Jaldon. Draanth, he'd never forget it. The horror, the disgust, the way she'd flinched away from him… It had made him ache in the center of his chest.

He didn't regret killing that sick draanthic, though. Not for a single moment. But he did regret the way it had tainted Beth's view of him. She hadn't looked at him like he was a monster before.

He held still as she approached, forcing his muscles to relax and his face to smooth into a mask of calmness and control. He wouldn't scare her, not again. He would show her that he could control himself, that he could be more than the monster.

Even if it draanthing well killed him.

"I'm just going to take a few skin scrapes," she said with a small smile. "They won't hurt, but if you're uncomfortable, let me know. Okay?"

"It will be fine," he rumbled, watching as she reached for him. He waited with bated breath for her touch.

Her hands were cool and soft against his skin, her touch light as a feather as she scraped the instrument along his arm. The sound seemed too loud in the quiet room, scratching his ears like nails across a chalkboard.

Every slight stroke of her hand sent sparks of pleasure rolling through him. He felt no pain from the blade she used, her touch too delicate and light for that.

He watched her as she worked, her expression focused as she took what she needed from him. She was so close he felt the heat of her body against his, and all he wanted to do was yank her into his arms and wrap himself around her—a source of heat to warm his frozen and stunted heart.

She glanced up and caught him watching her, her breathing stuttering a little and her eyes darkening as awareness swelled between them. He smiled, careful to keep his fangs well-hidden.

He focused on her breathing, the gentle in and out whispering against his skin like a caress. The soothing rhythm was a balm to the constant Rage and violence that hummed beneath his skin, pulsing in time with the heavy thud of his heart.

Her pulse fluttered at the base of her throat, rabbit-quick and delicate. He could see it, could practically taste it on his tongue. It took every ounce of control he had not to lean in and run his lips over that vulnerable spot… to feel her life and her fear against his lips.

"Almost done," she murmured, her breath whispering across his arm and making the fine hairs stand on end. "Just a few more samples."

He grunted, not able to trust his voice. The husky timbre of her words sent a different kind of heat through his body to pool in his groin. A low-level growl filled the room, and his gaze shot up, clashing with Zeke's, a silent warning not to scare Beth when she was trapped in here with the two of them. But she didn't flinch, and he realized her hearing was less acute than theirs.

Zeke's eyes burned with menace—a warning, a promise of retribution should Banic step even a hair out of line. He almost snorted. No way could Zeke stop him if he really wanted to get free. As if anyone could, apart from the small, delicate female in front of him. She had the power to bring him to his knees with a single look.

Meeting Zeke's gaze head-on, he refused to be intimidated. With all the years he'd spent on the northern continent, he was an expert at hiding his emotions. One chink in his armor and he'd have been ripped apart. So he kept his face impassive and only let Zeke see what he wanted him to see… a chained beast, subdued but not broken. He would never be broken.

Beth moved, her body brushing against his as she reached for a new instrument. The touch was like a jolt from a control prod, shooting across his skin like lightning. He sucked in a breath, his nostrils flaring as her scent washed over him. It was clean and slightly floral with a hint of warm female skin and something mysterious that was all her.

His head spun as his fingers itched to reach out and touch, itched to bury themselves in the dark curls of her hair and pull her close until no space remained between them. No air, no light, just the feel of her body, the taste of her breath…

But he held himself in check—barely. The metal of the cuffs dug into his wrists, grounding him and reminding him of all the reasons why he couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't give in to the hunger for her that clawed at his insides like a living thing. She was too pure, too good for the likes of him. He would only taint her, corrupt her with the darkness that lived in his blood and his bones.

So he endured the sweet torture of her touch and the maddening brush of her skin against his. He let it wash over him, through him, committing every moment to memory.

"There." She straightened up. "All done. That wasn't so bad. Was it?"

She pulled away, and he was forced to bite back a growl at the loss of her warmth, a sudden chill sweeping over his skin as he felt her absence like a physical blow.

He watched as she labeled the samples, her brow furrowed in concentration. The urge to reach out and smooth that little furrow with his thumb was almost overwhelming, an actual, physical ache in his fingers.

"Thank you," she said, glancing up at him with a smile. "For cooperating. I know this can't be easy for you."

"It's necessary," he said with a shrug, the chains clinking with the movement. "You need the samples to do your work."

Her smile widened, warming her eyes. They were a warm brown, darker than vetis bark, shot with green. They were beautiful. "Still. I appreciate it."

She turned away, leaving the cage with her samples in her hands. He watched the sway of her hips and the elegant line of her back as she walked across the room, and his cock punched to full mast in his pants. Leaning back against the wall on his bunk, he pulled his leg up to conceal the base reaction she caused.

Draanth… He wanted her. No, he needed her, with a desperation that bordered on madness worse than any Blood Rage.

Zeke was there in an instant, looming in the cage door as if his bulk could stop Banic if he truly wanted to reach her. As if anything could, in this whole draanthing universe.

"Don't get too comfortable," Zeke snarled, hatred in his eyes. "Once she's done with you, I'm taking you topside and executing you like the feral dog you are."

He didn't reply. He simply leaned his head back against the wall, closed his eyes, and let the other male posture. He would let him believe he had the upper hand. It was a small enough concession to keep the peace…to keep Beth from looking at him with fear in her eyes.

Banic had never been one for peace. He'd never seen the point in it in a world that only rewarded strength and brutality. But for her… for her, he would try.

He'd be anything she needed him to be, even if it meant swallowing his pride, his Rage, and the burning need to paint the walls with Zeke's blood.

For now anyway…