Page 43

The wind whips past me as I cut through the sky, the buildings blurring into streaks of gray and glass. Doggone Elegance comes into view, and the pull in my chest intensifies. I kill the engines and drop like a stone, the ground rushing up to meet me. I land in a crouch, the pavement cracking beneath my boots. The front door of the groomer’s is wide open, and the air smells sharp, metallic—ozone. Someone fired a laser weapon here. Recently.

“Tyler!” I bellow, my voice echoing down the empty street. No answer. I step inside, my scales bristling, my senses on high alert. The place is a mess—overturned chairs, scattered grooming tools, and a faint trail of blood leading toward the back. My stomach churns. If they’ve hurt her…

I follow the trail, my fists clenched so tight my claws dig into my palms. The back room is dark, the only light coming from the flickering fluorescent bulb overhead. And there she is. Tyler, crouched behind the counter, her face pale, her eyes wide with fear. Relief floods through me for a split second—until I see the figure standing over her.

Sandy. Or whatlookslike Sandy. But the way she’s holding the laser pistol, the way her eyes gleam with a cold, alien malice—that’s not Sandy. That’s a Grolgath.

“Stay back, Lanz,” the Grolgath snarls, pressing the barrel of the pistol against Tyler’s temple. “Or I’ll blow her pretty little head off.”

Tyler whimpers, her hands trembling as she clutches the edge of the counter. “Lanz, I’m sorry, I didn’t know—she just?—”

“Shut up,” the Grolgath snaps, yanking Tyler to her feet. “You’re coming with me, human. And if your boyfriend tries anything, he’ll be scraping your brains off the floor.”

I take a step forward. “Let her go. Now.”

The Grolgath smirks, her grip tightening on Tyler. “Or what? You’ll kill me? Go ahead. But she dies first.”

I glance at Tyler, her eyes pleading with me, tears streaming down her cheeks. My chest tightens. I can’t risk it. I can’t lose her. Not now. Not ever.

“Fine,” I say, raising my hands in surrender. “Take me instead. You want a Vakutan? You’ve got one. Just let her go.”

The Grolgath hesitates, her eyes narrowing as she studies me. “You’d really trade your life for hers?”

“In a heartbeat,” I growl, my gaze never leaving Tyler’s. “She’s mine. And I protect what’s mine.”

The Grolgath laughs, a cold, hollow sound. “How noble. But I don’t think so. I think I’ll take you both. The Alliance will pay a fortune for a Vakutan and his little pet.”

I clench my jaw, my mind racing. I need a plan. I need to get Tyler out of here. But before I can move, the Grolgath’s finger tightens on the trigger.

“Say goodbye, Lanz,” she sneers.

And then the world explodes.

The laser bolt sizzles past my ear, close enough to singe the scales. I don’t think—I move. My foot snaps out, and the pistol goes flying, clattering across the floor. Tyler scrambles backward, her eyes wide, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps.

“Stay down,” I bark, not taking my eyes off the Grolgath.

The creature smirks, its form shimmering like heat waves on asphalt. “Big, strong Vakutan,” it taunts, its voice dripping with mockery. “But can you catch me?”

It lunges, and I meet it head-on. My fist connects with its face, but the impact feels wrong—like punching water. Its head liquefies, my hand passing straight through. The Grolgath reforms, laughing, and swings at me with an arm that morphs mid-swing into a viper, fangs bared.

I twist, narrowly avoiding the strike, and grab for its wrist. My fingers close around it, but the limb shifts again, turning to liquid and slipping through my grip.

“You can’t hurt me,” it sneers, dancing back, its form flickering between human and something far more alien. “But I can hurt you. And then, I’m going to take your human mate and fill her belly with healthy, strong Grolgath children.”

Rage burns through me, white-hot and primal. My scales bristle, and I lunge again, this time aiming for its midsection. Itshifts, but I’m ready. I feint left, then pivot, driving my elbow into its side. The Grolgath stumbles, its form solidifying for a split second.

“You talk too much,” I growl, pressing the advantage. I grab its arm again, this time twisting it into a joint lock. It hisses, its free hand morphing into a blade, but I’m faster. I slam it into the wall, the impact cracking the drywall.

“You think you’re clever,” it spits, its face contorting into something grotesque. “But you’re just a brute. A relic. The Coalition will crush you, and your little human pet will?—”

I cut it off with a punch to the throat, and it gurgles, its form flickering. But it’s not enough. It’s never enough with these things.

“Lanz!” Tyler’s voice cuts through the chaos, and I glance over just long enough to see her scrambling to her feet.

“Stay back!” I snap, but the Grolgath uses the distraction to its advantage. Its body shifts, turning to liquid again, and it slips free of my grip.

It reforms a few feet away, its grin wide and vicious. “You’re out of your depth, Vakutan. You can’t win this.”