Chapter 21

Just like Rhys predicted, the bunker outside of the city was now empty — of humans as well as the cursed containers they"d lugged half-way across the lands.

"They could have gone anywhere," Taryn said. "Zarrack"s men are on high alert. The humans won"t be able to get through the gates. It would be smarter for them to pick another target."

"They wont." Rhys"s voice was steady. "Not with victory so close. Taryn, they"re focused on pulling this off… They"re going to bomb that city if it"s the last thing they do. Our imprisonment just gave them more time to find a different way in."

On Taryn and Rhys"s warnings, Zarrack had increased security. The older warrior hadn"t just got his appointment on his brawn alone, Taryn knew. Zarrack was a tactician. The humans could be anywhere, but Zarrack was now expecting them, ready to catch them when they tried to strike.

So if the humans couldn"t get into the city the obvious ways…

Then how were they planning to get inside?

When they stepped outside the old bunker, Taryn looked back at the city. In the moonlight, it was a sight to behold. It was a massive thing, its towers scraping the sky. Taryn was a man of the wilds, but even he had to admit that there was something about the scale of Borraq architecture that was awe-inspiring.

But right now, Taryn didn"t have time to admire the view. He was focused on the city"s walls…

And far from them, the dark tunnel mouths set into the ground.

Vasz had wild, unpredictable storms. Any city needed ways to deal with water. The city"s drainage system was an engineering marvel, the city resting on huge tunnels, big enough to swallow a whole river.

But it had been days since the last downpour, and those tunnel mouths were now dry…

But not empty.

And on the edge of one lip was a smear of mud — leading inwards, not out.

Rhys followed Taryn"s intent gaze. "What are you looking at? Drains?" Something clicked, and his eyes widened. "Oh, god damn it—! Are they going to blow up the whole city from underneath?!"

There was no time to gather assistance. There was no time to warn anyone. If Taryn and Rhys didn"t stop the humans, countless innocent Borraq were going to die.

Taryn"s hand clenched around the hilt of his blade. "I"m going to stop them."

"Then I"m coming with you."

Taryn turned to him. "No. This will be a fight. With all due respect, Rhys, you"re not a fighter."

Rhys"s jaw set stubbornly. "I"m not going to sit on the sidelines and watch you go into danger alone. I"m coming with you."

Taryn"s heart clenched. He"d spent his whole life facing moments like this. He was born to fight, to face down any danger that Vasz could throw at him. He was confident in his ability to protect others. But the idea of something happening to Rhys...

He"d already thought he"d lost Rhys once. He couldn"t bear the thought of going through that pain again.

"You don"t understand," he said, his voice pained. "I can"t... I can"t bear the thought of losing you again."

Rhys looked up at him, his eyes wide in the glow of Vasz"s twin moons. Despite the imminent danger, there was a moment of stillness between them, charged with something that Taryn couldn"t quite define.

Then Rhys grinned at him. "Well, I hate to break it to you, big guy, but you"re going to have to get used to it. Your mate is a human. You"re just going to have to keep saving me."

Taryn shook his head, a fond smile tugging at his lips. "You"re infuriating."

"Hey, you"re the one that chose me. That"s on you."

Taryn couldn"t help himself. He reached out and pulled Rhys in for a swift embrace, relishing the feel of the smaller man against his side. Rhys was warm and solid, a living presence at Taryn"s side.

Despite the danger that they were about to face, despite the weight of Taryn"s fears, there was a lightness in his chest, a thrill that he could feel to his very bones.

His instincts purred, happy to have his mate by his side.

There wasn"t time for Taryn to argue — or to do any of the other things that his instincts urged for. With a grim nod, he accepted that Rhys was going to be at his side.

"Let"s go."

The tunnel was a massive thing, its walls big enough to fit a squad of full-grown Borraq walking side by side. Despite its size, the air in it was stale, the scent of stone and stale water filling Taryn"s senses.

But there was something else in the air, too. The further they followed the humans" trail, the heavier the atmosphere became, thick with the anticipation of violence.

Taryn led the way, moving silently despite his size. Rhys followed close behind, his steps nearly as quiet. Taryn had trained for countless hours to move unseen, to be a predator that could approach his prey without them ever knowing. Rhys had no such training, but there was something in the set of his shoulders, the focus in his eyes, that spoke of a man who was ready to face down any danger — even if it was to save his enemies!

Taryn had truly never known a human like him.

They soon closed in on the sound of voices. The humans were gathered around the explosive canisters, their heads bent over them as they worked.

It was now long past the time for negotiation.

It was time for Taryn to take his prey.

With a snarl, Taryn lunged at the nearest human, his blade flashing in the dim light. The human only had time for a single wide-eyed stare before the point of Taryn"s blade was buried in his chest. Borraq blades were made for Vasz"s thick-skinned predators, and they made short work of thin human hide.

The humans staggered back, shocked. Good — Taryn had to keep them away from those damn canisters.

He had to take them all down. If a single one of them managed to trigger their explosives…

They humans were well-trained. It only took an instant before their shock turned into fury. The humans reached for their weapons, snatching them up. "You traitorous scum!" one of them spat, leveling a gun at Rhys.

Taryn moved with the fluid grace of a born warrior, his blade an extension of his body as he engaged the humans. The clash of steel on steel rang out in the tunnel, the metallic clamor echoing off the stone walls.

He had to keep them away from the explosives. If they were able to get to their detonators… Taryn knew that these humans wouldn"t hesitate.

Not even if it meant they"d go down with the city too.

This had been a one-way trip from the start, after all.

Taryn"s heart pounded in his chest, not from exertion but from the thrill of battle. This was what he had been born for — to protect his people, his home, at any cost. The humans were a threat to everything he held dear, and he would not allow them to succeed.

In the corner of his eye, he saw Rhys grappling with one of the humans, the human"s greater size and weight proving a challenge. But Rhys was tenacious, dodging the human"s wild swings with agility born of desperation. When an opening presented itself, he struck with underhanded efficiency, the stuff that streetfights were made of, driving a fist into his opponent"s kidneys in a savage little punch.

The human grunted, doubling over, and Rhys didn"t even pause, lunging for another human. Taryn felt a surge of pride at Rhys"s feral violence, his mate proving himself a formidable ally even against superior odds.

Spinning on his heel, Taryn parried a wild slash from another human"s knife, the jarring impact traveling up his arm. He could feel the human"s fear, could smell the sour tang of adrenaline on the air. These humans were outmatched, but they fought with the desperation of cornered animals.

They had one task in mind: detonating those explosives.

And Taryn was the only thing standing between them and their goal.

But there were other ways to trigger an explosion than with a detonator. On the other side of the room, one of them struggled for their gun, their eyes locked on the explosives.

Taryn"s heart seized. "Rhys!" he shouted, his voice ringing with urgency.

Rhys followed Taryn"s gaze, and understood immediately. He launched himself at the human just before they could raise their gun. They collided in a tangle of limbs, grappling for control of the weapon as they crashed to the ground.

Taryn turned his focus back to the threat at hand, engaging the remaining humans with renewed ferocity. His blade was a blur of motion, deflecting their clumsy strikes and retaliating with surgical precision. These humans were no match for a Borraq warrior at the peak of his abilities.

A pained grunt drew his attention back to Rhys"s struggle. The human had gained the upper hand, pinning Rhys to the ground with his greater bulk. Taryn felt icy dread grip his heart as the human aimed the gun towards Rhys—

Taryn lunged forward, his blade whirling in a deadly arc. The human crumpled to the ground, clutching at the blade buried in his side.

But even as he moved to protect Rhys, Taryn felt a fiery line of agony sear across his back. One of the remaining humans had seized the opportunity, slashing his blade across Taryn"s unprotected flank.

Taryn grunted, the pain lancing through his body like a bolt of lightning. His knees buckled, and for a moment, the world tilted sickeningly. Through the haze of anguish, he heard Rhys"s anguished cry.

"Taryn!"

The fear in that beloved voice cut through the fog of pain, igniting something primal within Taryn"s soul. He was the protector, the guardian tasked with keeping Rhys safe at all costs. Failure was not an option.

Snarling, he straightened, his eyes flashing as he whirled to face the human who had struck him. The human"s eyes widened in shock and fear, but Taryn was beyond mercy.

He didn"t need his blade for creatures as pathetic as these, that would threaten his mate in front of him. His hand closed on the human"s neck, wringing the life out of him. When he was done, Taryn turned his gaze upon the last remaining threat.

The final human stood frozen, his face a rictus of terror as he stared into the blazing fury of a Borraq warrior defending his mate. Taryn advanced, his footsteps slow and inexorable, his blade recovered and held at the ready.

"P-please," the human stammered, his voice thick with dread. "I surrender."

The human"s voice trembled with fear. Taryn paused, his blade at the ready.

"Don"t listen to Jak!" Rhys growled. He was battered and scraped from the fight, his nose bleeding, but he got to his feet. The anger in his eyes was unmistakable. "He"s scum!"

"I surrender," the man repeated, his eyes fixed on Taryn, as if he hadn"t heard Rhys at all.

For a heartbeat, Taryn considered showing mercy. The battle was won, the threat neutralized. Perhaps in this last human was a spark of reason that could be preserved. Perhaps he could face justice in the proper way.

Then the man"s eyes flickered, his gaze darting towards the tangled mass of wires on the explosives. He lunged for it.

With a snarl, Taryn threw himself forward, his blade a streak of silver in the dim light. The man"s eyes widened in shock as Taryn"s strike found its mark, the razor-sharp edge opening a crimson gash across his throat.

The human crumpled, his fingers scrabbling uselessly at the wound as his lifeblood spilled forth. Taryn stood over him, his chest heaving, every muscle in his body thrumming with the adrenaline of battle.

Then a hand gripped his arm, and he turned to find Rhys at his side, his face flushed with exertion. "It"s over," Rhys said, his voice trembling with relief. "That"s all of them. You did it. We did it."

Taryn felt the tension bleed from his body, the weight of their victory settling over him like a mantle. He pulled Rhys into a fierce embrace, his arms enveloping the smaller man as he buried his face in the crook of Rhys"s neck. Rhys"s scent filled his senses, rich and intoxicating, a reminder of all that he had fought to protect.

"You were incredible," Taryn murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "I could not have done this without you."

Rhys laughed, the sound breathless and giddy with the thrill of their triumph. "I had a good teacher."

Taryn drew back, his gaze roaming over Rhys"s face, committing every detail to memory. His heart swelled with a love so strong that it threatened to overwhelm him.

Cupping Rhys"s face in his hands, Taryn leaned in and captured his lips in a searing kiss. Mine. Wonderfully mine.

When they finally parted, Rhys"s eyes were alight with wonder and adoration. "What was that for?" he asked, his voice hushed.

Taryn smiled, tracing the line of Rhys"s jaw with a reverent touch. "For being you," he said simply.

Above them, the great city of the Borraq stood unaware, its citizens sleeping peacefully. But in that moment, the only thing that mattered to Taryn was Rhys"s embrace.

He tightened his arms around the human, breathing in the intoxicating scent that had once repulsed him but now filled him with a sense of belonging. "Let"s go home."