Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

The smoldering remains of a Dohrag collection squad lay scattered throughout the forest, the bodies of Gromm's men just as badly shattered from the violence of their conflict.

The trees would grow back eventually, and the wildlife would make quick work of the free meal, leaving the remainder to rot and feed the soil, a price paid with blood, fueling the regrowth over time.

Smoke lingered in the air pungent and thick, but the lush vegetation had not stayed alight long, smoldering debris snuffed by sap and wet ground, quickly reduced to soon-extinguished embers.

The beast lay buried beneath a massive pile of debris, covered by soil, vegetation, and broken branches, all sent flying along with him from the force of the blast that had very nearly rendered his seemingly impervious form unconscious.

But unconscious he most certainly was not.

Braxxos was still in there, his rational mind functioning alongside that of the raging monster now thrashing about, trying to break free. It was fortunate he'd been buried deep. Had he not been, Gromm's men would have seen him and undoubtedly finished him off before he could heal enough to free himself and properly engage them. Only that fluke of fate and debris had allowed him to fight another day. And fight he would.

As it stood, they'd wrapped up their fight with the Dohrags and taken off, both sides licking their wounds and retreating to fight another day. At least, those who made it back to their ships. A few had wandered off into the woods, lingering survivors thought dead and left as such.

"Took her," he growled to himself, muscles straining hard as he shifted yet another enormous tree limb from on top of himself, the beast's primal side pushing hard and threatening to take over entirely. "Took my mate!"

His Infala was burning hot in his chest, feeling her panic, her fear, sharing her sensations as she was hauled farther and farther away. And yet, here he was. Stuck under a pile, impotent to help her when she needed him most.

He howled in rage and pain, his heart breaking as emotions overwhelmed his rational mind. Something more visceral, more animal than even the beast's regular violent energy was bubbling up, and Braxxos was neither in the headspace, nor the mood, to stop it.

The beast's instinctive fury rose to the surface, taking over, his eyes glowing brighter as his already enormous frame grew even larger. Wood cracked and dirt shifted as his muscles flexed mightily. He roared with pure, blinding rage. Even partially buried and muffled, if there had been any survivors nearby, they would have heard that and run like hell. But the only people remaining in this place were long gone from the world of the living.

"Graaaaaagh!" he bellowed, somehow getting his legs under him and standing up, the incredible weight atop him shifting as his massive thighs powered through it in a fit of burning anger. Of need. Of regret.

The last branch shifted, though it was more of a tree trunk in size.

"Must…Find…Her," he growled, straining to articulate, his speech devolving as his primal rage continued to grow in intensity. "Find her and kill them. Kill them all."