Page 4 of Alien Devil’s Wrath (Vinduthi Stolen Brides #2)

T he boot prints were fresh in the soft dirt near a water seep. Maybe an hour old. Three sets, standard patrol boots but sized for Merrith feet. The smaller species left distinctive triangular heel marks.

I crouched beside the clearest print, examining the pattern. They’d stopped here to rest, thinking the narrow canyon provided good cover.

Such poor tactical planning.

“Oh, this is going to be fun,” I whispered, already mapping out the possibilities in my head.

My Vinduthi companion moved into position behind a cluster of standing stones. Even wounded, the way he moved made heat gather between my thighs. All that controlled power, barely restrained despite his injuries.

A discarded ration wrapper lay crumpled by a boulder. Still had the processing date visible. Standard Merrith field rations, the kind they complained about constantly but ate anyway because the alternative was starvation.

I found what I needed growing in a crevice twenty meters away. Crimson lure blooms, their petals already releasing that distinctive sweet scent.

“Hello, beauties,” I cooed to the flowers, crushing a single petal between my fingers. The nectar stained my skin dark red, the metallic scent of fake blood rising immediately.

The guards would have to pass through the chokepoint where the canyon walls narrowed. I smeared nectar on the rocks there, creating a trail that would drift on the wind to every cave and crevice where hungry things waited.

Then I settled back behind cover, practically vibrating with anticipation.

The Merrith appeared fifteen minutes later. Three of them, their pale translucent skin showing the intricate patterns of veins beneath. They moved in single file, weapons held loosely, complaining in their clicking language about patrol duty.

None of them noticed the sweet scent saturating the air.

But the Stalkers did.

The first one emerged from a cave mouth above, spines already extended. Then another. Then three more, flowing down the rocks like scaled death.

The lead guard looked up just as two hundred pounds of predator landed on his chest. His scream cut short as claws found his throat. The distinctive crack of Merrith bones breaking echoed off stone.

The other two tried to run. It didn’t help.

Stalkers flowed around them like water, attacking from every angle. Their small bodies made them fast, but not fast enough. Within thirty seconds, all three were down, the feeding sounds already starting.

I waited ten minutes for the pack to finish and withdraw, then approached the kill site. Scattered equipment lay among the remains.

“Look at this,” I said to myself, picking up a military-grade canteen. “And this lovely knife. The previous owner had excellent taste.”

Behind me, boots scraped stone as my Vinduthi emerged from cover.

“You planned that.”

His voice carried that low rumble that made my nipples tighten. Not anger exactly. Evaluation.

I straightened, testing the knife’s balance before sliding it into my boot.

“Of course I planned it. Though ‘orchestrated’ has such a nicer ring. Like conducting a symphony instead of feeding guards to hungry lizards.”

He stood completely still, studying me with that predator gaze. The tremor in his left hand had gotten worse, though he was trying to hide it by keeping it pressed against his thigh.

“You orchestrated a massacre.” No judgment in the words. Just observation.

“I solved a problem using available resources.” I gestured to where the Stalkers had retreated. “The ecosystem is all about balance. They disrupted it by being here. I restored it by making them useful.”

I started walking deeper into the canyon, already thinking about our next obstacle.

“Besides,” I called over my shoulder, “you’re not upset about dead guards. Your pupils dilated when you watched them die. That’s physical arousal, in case you were wondering.”

His footsteps followed, heavier now than they’d been an hour ago. The venom was working exactly as expected.

“You talk about murder like entertainment.”

“Isn’t it?” I spun around to face him, walking backwards. “I know how these creatures think, what makes them hungry, how to make them hunt. Those guards walked right into my pets’ territory acting like prey. What did they expect?”

He didn’t answer, but something shifted in his expression. Like he was seeing me properly for the first time.

“You’re trying to figure me out,” I said, turning back around. “I can tell. The way your breathing changes when you look at me. The way your jaw tightens when I do something unexpected.”

“You are unexpected.”

I laughed, the sound bright in the narrow canyon. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me in five years.”

The path ahead split into three branches. I chose the middle one without hesitation, following marks I’d made months ago during my explorations.

“Twenty-eight kilometers to your objective,” I said. “Think you’ll make it? That tremor’s spread to your right hand now.”

He clenched both fists, trying to prove me wrong. The shaking was obvious.

“Stage three comes fast,” I continued. “Muscle spasms, loss of coordination, eventual paralysis. But don’t worry. When you can’t walk anymore, I know some excellent caves where we can wait for you to die. Very peaceful. Scenic, even.”

“There must be antivenom.”

“Oh, there is.” I patted my pack. “I’ve been perfecting it for three years. Had to test it on myself twice when I got careless. Horrible experience, really. The convulsions alone lasted six hours.”

He stopped walking. “You have it with you?”

“Of course! What kind of guide would I be if I let you die halfway there?” I smiled at him, bright and innocent. “But we haven’t discussed new terms yet.”

“We had a deal.”

“We did. But that was before you decided to ignore my medical advice. Now you’re dying, and I’m the only one who can save you.” I moved closer, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body. “So let’s talk about what that’s worth to you.”

His hand moved to the knife at his belt. Not drawing it, just resting there. A reminder.

“I could just take it.”

“You could try.” I didn’t step back. Didn’t flinch. “But then you wouldn’t know the correct dosage. Or the administration method. Or the fact that it needs a catalyst to work, and only I know what that is.”

We stood there, predator and prey, except I wasn’t sure which was which anymore.

Finally, his hand dropped from the knife.

“What do you want?”

I pretended to think about it, tapping one finger against my lips.

“I want to watch,” I said finally. “When you reach your objective, whatever it is, I want to see what was worth dying for. And after...” I traced a finger along his arm, feeling the muscle twitch under my touch.

“After, you don’t just drop me at the nearest port.

You take me exactly where I want to go.”

“Where?”

“To finish what I started with a certain Lyrikan noble.” My smile turned sharp. “You’re going to help me kill him properly this time.”

He was quiet for a long moment, that predator gaze evaluating options. The tremor had spread up both arms now. We both knew he was running out of time.

“Deal.”

I bit back a laugh. No reason to spook him too soon. “Oh good. This partnership just keeps getting better.”

Behind me, his footsteps grew more uneven with each passing minute.

This was turning out even better than I’d hoped.