Chapter 18

It had taken longer than expected to explain everything to Zarrack. The man was thorough. As Taryn worked his way through his explanation, Zarrack called for assistants, giving them orders to spread out and patrol the outskirts of the city walls, to investigate every wagon coming their way, to add extra scouts to the city"s perimeter.

If the humans thought that they were getting through these walls… Well, there were going to be some surprises in store for them.

Taryn"s heart flooded with relief as Zarrack listened to everything he had to say — well, not everything. Taryn"s story had left a safe margin around the topic of one particular human.

If he"d seen the odd hint of sharpness in Zarrack"s eyes now and again… Well, Zarrack hadn"t pushed him. Whatever the older warrior"s suspicions may have been about Taryn"s secrets, he had more on his plate than ferreting them out.

Then Zarrack had clapped Taryn on the shoulder and told him he"d handle it. Taryn"s duty was done.

Now, all Taryn needed to do was to get back to the jungle. He needed to get back to the wilderness, back to the open spaces, back away from the claustrophobic hustle of the city and back to the place where he could feel truly free.

Back to Rhys.

He was in the middle of the main street, nearly to the city"s front gate, when a commotion broke out ahead of him.

Taryn"s heart stopped. For a single, endless moment, the entire world ground to a halt, time stretching out like a bowstring.

And then he moved. In great, pounding strides, he rushed through the thick press of bodies ahead of him. He dodged tables, he shoved past startled warriors, he paid no heed to the cries of the Borraq he left in his wake.

He finally made it to the main gate.

And the sight that met his eyes was enough to break his heart.

Rhys was there, held in the grip of two Borraq. He was pleading with them, his voice high and desperate. "I have to warn you— please, just listen!"

The men holding him paid no heed. One slapped him across the face with one meaty hand. "Quiet, human!"

Rhys didn"t cower. "There are other humans coming, with explosives— please, listen to me!"

Rhys"s cry was pained, furious, and desperate all at once. It was like the sound of a blade cutting through Taryn"s very soul.

Taryn"s heart was made for the open plains, for the thrill of the hunt and the joy of a kill. It was made for the sight of a pack running at full speed, for the feeling of wind in his face as he closed in on his prey.

It was not made for enduring the suffering of a mate, and being unable to do anything about it.

Rhys was his mate. Taryn had scented it for himself, his senses reeling at the heady, sweet scent that poured off of the human"s body. The man was his, by the ancient knowledge of his instincts. Taryn"s blood sang with the claim, a wild and undeniable call that promised pleasure and companionship, a future filled with the other half of him.

Taryn"s soul burned with the need to protect his mate. And that need overpowered everything else.

With a roar, he charged.

Taryn slammed into the nearest warrior, catching him completely by surprise. The man holding Rhys had been standing between Taryn and his mate, but Taryn"s momentum was too great. The two of them went crashing to the ground, leaving a clear path to Rhys. Taryn didn"t waste a moment, surging to his feet and snatching the human out of his captor"s grasp.

Taryn roared Rhys"s name as he wrenched the human from the warrior"s grasp. Rhys stumbled forward, his eyes wide with relief and fear as he collided with Taryn"s chest.

"You have to listen to me!" Rhys gasped, gripping Taryn"s arms with desperate strength. "The others, they"re coming, now! They"re right outside, in some kind of bunker!"

Taryn"s heart thundered in his ears as realization crashed over him. "Rhys, you shouldn"t have come — not even for that!"

In his arms for one pure moment before the city tore them apart, Rhys smiled up at him. "I had to. You would have."

And then that was it.

Warriors surged towards them, a tide of rippling muscle and flashing eyes. Taryn snarled, crouching defensively as he tried to put himself between Rhys and the onslaught. He lashed out with fists and feet, his powerful strikes finding their mark, but the sheer numbers overwhelmed even a warrior as strong as he.

"Taryn!" Rhys cried out as Borraq closed in on him.

Panic flared in Taryn"s chest, a searing need to protect his mate rising above all else. He fought with renewed ferocity, his movements a blur as he fended off the warriors bearing down on them. But for every one he forced back, two more took their place, their collective might inexorable.

A vicious blow caught Taryn in the ribs, the force of it staggering him. He gasped for air as the warriors surged forward, seizing the opening. Powerful hands gripped him, dragging him down, down into a churning sea of bodies.

Rhys"s anguished cry rang in his ears as he was torn away, the distance between them stretching until only their eyes remained locked. Taryn strained against his captors, his heart shattering at the despair etched onto Rhys"s face.

I"m sorry for failing you, he tried to convey with his gaze, pouring every ounce of reassurance he could muster into those few precious moments. I will find you. I will come for you.

The warriors" blows rained down, merciless and unforgiving. Each strike was a lash against Taryn"s soul, the physical pain insignificant compared to the anguish of being separated from his mate. As darkness crept in at the edges of his vision, his last thoughts were of Rhys — the curve of his smile, the warmth of his embrace, the promise of a future together.

A future that was now lost forever.