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The hairs on the back of Mia’s neck prickled. Slowly, she turned around. There, at the edge of the jungle, stood a massivevyirkolen, its razor-sharp fangs on full display.

The animal screamed at her, sending terror down Mia’s spine.

She backed into the door, clawing at the handle, trying to open it. “Let me in, Raelka,” she hissed, then risked glancing over her shoulder.

The foyer visible through the barrier was empty.

And Mia was trapped between death and a tightly locked door.

Chapter Nineteen

Mia’s mind blanked and she went absolutely still, horrified by the giant predator stalking leisurely toward her.

Did it know it had her boxed in? Could it smell the terror pinning her in place against the useless door?

A muted roar drifted to her, followed by a swift certainty: Zoran would come for her. All she had to do was hold on until he got there.

The knowledge gave her the courage to move. She glanced around, careful to keep her movements small and slow, though her heart fluttered wildly in her chest and her hands shook so badly, she had to clench them into hard fists against the door at her back.

The rear entrance had been designed primarily as an emergency exit. Nearly all foot traffic entered from the street on the other side of the building. Whoever had designed the science center had made this entrance smaller, though no less beautiful. An overhang curved above the rock-tiled patio stretching from the door to a graceful railing delineating the narrow, grassy verge lining the jungle. To either side, a ledge-like slope fronted the building, adding a gentle upward swoop for the eye to follow toward the roof over the entrance.

Jyrak’s words came to her then.Vyirkolenwere good jumpers, but they couldn’t climb. If Mia could make it onto the ledge, which was hopefully too narrow for thevyirkolento navigate, she had a shot at reaching the roof before the predator could swat her off with one of its massive, claw-tipped paws.

Her feet felt rooted to the rock.

Mia inhaled slowly, willing her rapid heartbeat to calm. But no, she could do this. She had to, if she wanted to live, and she had so, so many reasons to live, many of them beginning and ending with Zoran.

They’d just found each other, just discovered the kind of love she’d dreamed of having for so long. How could she leave him now, when they’d barely started their journey together?

That thought gave her the impetus to move. She inched her right foot to the side, toward the walkway and town and Zoran.

Thevyirkolenyawned and shook its sleek head, then leaped toward her, landing just on the other side of the railing, not fifteen feet away, startling Mia. She screamed shrilly and dashed toward the ledge. Two heavy thumps sounded behind her, claws clicked against rock. She’d just reached the start of the ledge when something hit her back, knocking her off her feet. A heavy paw came down between her shoulder blades, pinning her to the ground, pressing the breath out of her lungs, and thevyirkolenlet out its eerily human cry.

Oh, my God, she thought,oh god oh god oh god.

Teeth snapped closed above her, and the creature nuzzled her head with its snout. Mia whimpered as it batted at her, toying with her.

Playing with its food.

She flung one fist backward, connected with something hard, not even jarring the damn thing. It snarled and snapped, drawing another scream from her raw throat when its teeth grazed her upper back, snagging on her hair and clothing. Fire burned in its wake, and she knew that its teeth had pierced her skin. Knew that its venom had already entered her bloodstream.

Feet pounded on the walkway. She raised her head and saw a familiar set of boots followed by half a dozen others. Claws pressed into her back, puncturing her skin. She inhaled sharply as the boots reached her and the weight lifted off her back, and slid helplessly into a dark fever dream as the venom worked its ill and Zoran battled the thing that had done this to her.

Zoran raced to where his mate was pinned beneath the weight of a monster. His heart roared in his ears, blocking the sounds of the other warriors running behind him and coming toward him from the other side of the science center. He ignored them all.

Avyirkolen’s venomous teeth were a mere handspan from Mia’s delicate flesh. The creature opened its maw and closed them on her back, catching Mia’s hair and clothes between its wicked teeth.

Zoran screamed. “Mia!”

Then he was there, slashing his sword, slicing just under thevyirkolen’s jawline, severing the connection between his mate and the thing trying to slay her. It reared back, taking a mouthful of hair and cloth with it, sidling away from Mia as she drooped to the ground, unconscious.

Kaelen, running toward them from the far side of the building, dropped his sword, drew his dagger from its sheath, and leapt. He landed on thevyirkolen’s back and wrested it away, stabbing his dagger quickly into the monster’s chest.

Zoran had eyes only for his beloved. He dropped to his knees beside her and saw the true damage done: the beast’s teeth had scraped across her back, piercing the flesh. An icy chill froze him where he knelt and his breath came in shallow pants.

No. Not Mia. The venom would…it would destroy her. When she had only just come into his life. When she had only just learned to love him.

He threw back his head and roared to the heavens. “Reja-la, reja-la.”