Page 157 of Bonds of Starfall

Anger swelled within him.

"When I get my hands on you, you better run."

Rin leftRhyden lying on the bed, tied up, with the sheet draped over his lower half. But the image of his hard length, glistening with her arousal, haunted her as she crept through the dark forest of Nova Zone 21.

The space between her thighs was still sore, sending pleasant aches tingling throughout her body with every move.

She had been worried it would be hard to rediscover that hidden place, where the hangar doors had lain, but not at all—she merely had to follow the armored truck that drove over the rough terrain.

Now, Rin lay in wait, the tree bark rough under her palms, thighs burning as she hugged the large branch she was perched in. Her white hair was in a tight bun, small strands slipping free to brush her cheeks. She bent forward, hidden by the dark canopy, watching the scene below.

Two women exited the vehicle, both dressed in the same dark clothing she’d seen the guards wear.

They walked to a slanted boulder, tall and imposing. Its shape was unnatural, and that fact was only cemented as one of the guards placed a hand on it, revealing a keypad. She typed a code in—it was too far for Rin to make out the numbers—and a small door hissed open.

One guard entered, and the other stalled, as if in thought, patting her chest. Her curse carried up to Rin. "Fuck. I forgot my badge. Go on without me."

"Make it quick, Arya," the other warned. "I’m not going to cover for your ass."

"I know."

The door shut, and the woman—Arya—turned back to the truck, a rifle slung over her back as she walked swiftly. It put her right underneath Rin, where she perched in the tree.

Rin lifted into a crouch, her palms on the bark to keep her balance, then she dropped, tucking her legs. Rin fell right on top of the woman. The impact jarred her side. Echogun in hand, Rin twisted it, shoving the muzzle right under the guard’s chin. She wore a dark cap, concealing her face. Her green eyes were wide as she stared up at Rin.

"Who the fuck are you?" the guard questioned sharply.

Rin jammed the muzzle hard against her, feeling sickness roil in her gut. If it came down to it, could she shoot?

Her fingers tightened on the grip. No, she would. Because this woman knew exactly what was done here at the lab.

"No one you need to know." Rin reared back her arm and slammed the butt of the gun right into the guard’s temple, knocking her unconscious. In the quiet, she whispered, "But I am sorry."

Rin made quick work of dragging the guard deeper into the woods, tightening the extra ropes she’d stashed in her bag around her arms and legs. She shoved a wadded-up cloth into her mouth, then wrapped duct tape around her head to keep her silenced. It was a shit place to leave her—Rin didn’t really have a choice. She had to get the guard far from the truck to buy time.

The forest air shivered over Rin’s skin as she quickly removed her clothing, swapping it with the guard’s. Her nipples were pebbled in the night, and the thin fabric of her panties felt nonexistent, still damp from her and Rhyden’s intimacy. The shadows stretched and yawned. This time, there was no ignoring the shape of a man’s silhouette, reaching for her from between the trees.

Rin paused, one foot raised, poised to step into the stolen cargo pants.

"It’s you again, shadow. Stalking me," she breathed. "What are you?"

The shadow retreated, as if scared, and the world seemed to resume, as if everything had halted in its presence.

Rin shook off her confusion. She had greater things to focus on now.

When she stood dressed in the guard’s clothes—cargo pants, a fitted dark shirt with a vest, military-style boots, and the dark cap—she took the tied-up woman’s weapons, slinging the rifle over her back and tucking her own weapons in the pockets of her pants. She found a wallet carelessly thrown in the passenger seat of the truck, holding a keycard and a small note with a passcode written on it.

That feeling swept over her again. As if everything was just a little too easy.

Rin released a shaky breath, palms clammy, then she made for the boulder, typing in the passcode. The door clicked open with a low hiss, revealing a dark metal staircase and flickering yellow lights within.

The door shut behind her as she descended.

Adrenaline urged Rin onward,through the dark halls.

She kept her chin low, angled from the cameras she was sure were lining the ceilings.

The stairs had given way to a lone door, which she had swiped her stolen keycard on, allowing it to open.