35. Kira

35

Kira

I would have preferred to keep the element of surprise, but I must admit that Drasuk's guttural growl is damn inspiring.

Stupid, but inspiring, and it feels good to have him with me in this fight.

He makes up for giving away our location a moment later by launching himself out of the tree just as the lead creature gets to the base of it. Drasuk lets out a roar as he plummets. My heart is in my throat for a moment watching him, then I hear the satisfying crack of the thing's back as he lands on it with his big ass.

Talk about using your assets.

I'm impressed as hell and let out a whoop, then focus on my role. They're moving so fast I don't have a good bead on any of them, but I try a shot near the middle of the pack, anyway. A puff of dirt in the air lets me know I missed. The next shot hits, but it barely slows the thing down.

In a blink all four are on him, a snarling pile of fur, with glimpses of his blue skin and spikes.

The first one isn't dead yet, just making pitiful, mewling attempts to make its useless body respond. Good riddance.

I'm trying to get a clear shot as Drasuk bats them around, punctuating each blow with a roar. They are all so damn fast I don't think I can avoid friendly fire, so I wait.

I can tell he's being surprisingly cautious. From his movements, it occurs to me that his underbelly must be more vulnerable than his fucking bulletproof upper hide.

"Idiot," I bark at myself.

Unlike my usual allies, I'm not going to do him any harm if a shot goes wide, at least if I avoid his stomach and eyes.

I'd really like to just spray the mass with a bunch of bullets and be done, but I don't have an endless supply. I hope Drasuk can hold out while I'm choosy.

A moment later, he presents me with a perfect opportunity as he opens his maw with those sharp teeth and chomps down on a furry shoulder. He shakes the thing three hard times and then flings it away from him. It lands with a groan of pain and doesn't instantly pop back up.

I take a steady breath, aim for its forehead and gently squeeze. The spray of blood and bioluminescent slime is satisfying, but I don't take the time to savor it before I swing my weapon back to the remaining three.

Unfortunately, that shot finally caught their attention, and when I look back, one of them has separated from the growling, screeching melee and is bounding toward me.

"Fuck."

Drasuk tries to shoot out his tail and grab it, but the others pile on top of his back, knocking him off balance. He lets out an enraged bellow, but the other two are too attached to his upper spikes, riding him like he's the scariest fucking bull in the rodeo.

As terrifying as it is to have one of them barreling toward me, I steady my hands and use the time I have until it gets to me to choose a better target. Drasuk has one of the others pinned just long enough for me to shoot it in the chest.

It isn't a kill shot, judging by the screech it makes, but Drasuk takes advantage of its momentary distraction to rip its throat out.

Two left, I tally, then swing the gun down, trying to take quick aim at the one rapidly climbing the tree I'm in. My first shot grazes its shoulder, but it keeps coming. The second one goes wide as my vision suddenly blurs, and then it's on me, knocking the gun out of my hands as it swipes at my stomach.

I expect a searing pain and quick death, but instead it just feels like a punch. The wind rushes out of my lungs as I twist and pull one of my knives.

I stab it multiple times, but it just keeps taking swipes at my stomach, finally making a spitting cry I assume is frustration. After the fourth stab, it twists away from me, pulling the handle from my grip before I can pull it back out.

A darting grab of one hand reveals that my glass knife isn't in its usual suit pocket. All I feel is shredded fabric and bumpy skin before I give up on that plan and shift to the usual human backup plan: sheer desperation.

I push my back against the trunk of the tree the creature has me caged against, raise my knees toward my chest, screaming as the side of one thigh contacts its claws, then I kick out as hard as I can.

My jaw drops open in shock as it gives way with a hissing screech and then goes flying away from the tree.

There's another shift in my already fucked up reality as it seems to fall in slow motion, claws swiping the air in panic, before it makes hard contact with the ground.

It doesn't get a chance to get up again before Drasuk is ripping off chunks of it and flinging them in all directions.

I shake my head, the sudden clearing of my vision letting me know my new extra eyelids just retracted.

Drasuk tips back from all fours onto his back legs and bellows out his victory cry. He's covered in gore, and it should make me gag. Logically, it's disgusting.

Instead, he looks utterly magnificent. The deadliest being I've ever laid eyes on. A quick glance lets me know some of the blood is his, but he just had a whole fucking pack of rabid, giant mutant cats treating him like a scratching pole and it's not fazing him at all.

I'll admit, seeing him like this is a turn on. And not just because of genali tampering either, but because I've always been attracted to someone who could completely wreck me if they wanted to.

Damn.

Some of that arrogance is well-earned, it seems.

Not that he will ever hear me say that. I'll take it to the grave before I pump up his already inflated ego.

"Stop it," I mutter to myself. I need to stop drooling already.

A quick look around lets me know that none of my weapons fell in the tree, which means they must be scattered around the base of it, plus of course the one I need to rip out of the one Drasuk just killed.

I realize that it might be in one of the meaty chunks splattered all over the undergrowth and let out a sigh.

Climbing down is no problem at all. I've never felt stronger in my life. Clearly, some new change is afoot.

My glass knife is near the bottom of the tree, a few feet away from the paralyzed creature, which is still hissing and spitting at us. I stride over to gather up my weapon, then make the mercy kill.

After that, the only sounds are my pounding heart and Drasuk's panting.