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I ’d have preferred to leave Kerra on the Amber Gem , but I can’t be sure she would be safe there.

The only place I can be sure she remains protected is by my side. Because the last time I left her in a crisis, I lost her.

It won’t happen again. Kerra is my everything. The reason my heart beats, my shift happens, my eyes see. Everything I am, it is for her.

Although, I dislike intensely the fact she leads me and the rest of the warlords into the Veseli ship. Once we get into the large open area, I am sure to gather her to me, which she allows with a delicious squeak.

“You need to go around to the other side. There’s an opening similar to this which will take you into the main area where the Veseli are,” Kerra says. “There’s another thing you should know, though. I think they put some sort of tracking device in my neck.”

Kerra lifts her hair and exposes the elegant sweep of her skin. There is a livid raised area. I glance at Driok, the only one of us with healing knowledge over and above that of an ordinary Sarkarnii warrior.

“You should remove it,” he says, digging in his pocket and pulling out a small scanner. “Check for any explosives with this.” He tosses it to me.

“Explosives?” Kerra’s voice goes up several pitches.

The scanner shows a negative.

“Hold still, my mate. This will take less than a nova-second.”

Before she can take a breath, I dip a claw under her skin and flip out the piece of tech. It lands on the floor where Dante crushes it.

I lap over Kerra’s damaged neck, her blood buttery in my mouth, causing a flood of saliva at the very thought of giving her my claiming bite. When I lift away, her skin is as new.

Kerra puts up a trembling hand and touches the area, her eyes widening when she finds nothing there.

“It is all for you, my heartsfire.” I take her hand and place it over her heart. “I am for you, for here, for now, forever.”

She releases a long breath, her eyelashes fluttering. I do not care I have an audience, dipping my head to place my lips on hers, taking her kiss and enjoying her taste.

Dante clears his throat, smoke billowing from him.

I release my heartsfire and snarl.

“Are you done?” Dexx rasps. “We have Veseli to kill.”

On the other side of the huge hanger, there is a crack as a door opens and Veseli stream through. Far more than any of us expected, not that any of us are bothered.

Dexx and I shift. I lift Kerra onto my back. “Hold on. I’ll make it as quick as I can.” I rise up, wings beating and my accelerant sacs filling.

Dalox, Driok, and Dante have always preferred fighting in their biped forms, the three of them swinging their weapons and charging at the Veseli hoards.

I prefer the destructive power of my Sarkarnii.

Fire streams from me as I dive at the hoard, flames licking over the foul creatures, making them squeal as they are boiled in their casings.

The vast space they have created within this ship makes maneuvering in my Sarkarnii form easy.

Dexx and I herd them directly at the death zone which is Dalox and the others.

Those which escape at all.

The stench of burning Veseli rises. It is truly disgusting. Below it seems my fellow warlords are doing what needs to be done with the remainder, meaning I can land near the entrance they used and shift back, catching my sweet mate in my arms as I do.

“That was amazing ,” Kerra says, her eyes huge as she surveys the scene of destruction, her hand held at her tiny nose. “And disgusting .” She wrinkles her mouth.

Dante choses this moment to appear, covered head to toe with Veseli innards.

“Oh, god.” Kerra darts behind me.

Dante grins. I genuinely believe his present state is the reason he prefers hand to hand combat.

Dexx lands near us, his flanks heaving.

He does not shift back.

“I want my female,” he rumbles. “Where are they?”

“And I want my brother.” I look down at Kerra. “Don’t worry, they’re all getting out of here today.”

“I don’t know where Deus is,” she says. “I think I heard him, but as you’ll see, it all looks the same in there.”

As she speaks, the door opens, and we get our first look inside.

“We should have brought more warriors,” Dalox says.

“We don’t need any more warriors.” I growl at the sight of so many Veseli waiting for us among their dwellings. “They took my mate. They will pay.”