That’s when she rises up on her elbows.

I already know what she is seeing before I take a look.

It’s what’s always left behind after the Gryken pass through.

For they take. They destroy.

They leave nothing.

As I focus on Adee’ra, the terror that had just been in her gaze repeats in my mind.

I will fight for this small being.

I will fight for her freedom as I would have liked others to fight for mine.

Chapter Nineteen

ADIRA

Fer’ro rises and I follow him.

We’re in a clearing and despite the darkness, I’m aware of the sudden space around us because everything is flat.

I can’t believe how close the Gryken came to crushing us.

I can’t believe we survived.

I look behind me in the direction that’s it gone and it is still close enough for me to make it out clearly against the starlight.

Like a huge dark tower of doom.

Seeing a machine standing there so close makes me quake inside.

But I don’t get to stand and look at it for long because Fer’ro is grasping me by the hand and we’re running again.

He cuts to the side, back toward the cover of the trees and it is only because he is holding my hand why I don’t stumble as we move through what’s left of the forest.

“There’s water ahead, somewhere. A small source…and shelter too. We will rest there till the Gryken leaves this place.”

I open my mouth to ask him how he knows this but I don’t question it.

He is the only reason why I’m still alive.

The only reason we are still alive.

Off to the left, Sam is running, but when my gaze settles on her and then flicks to Ga’Var, I see his gaze on me.

My spine stiffens a little as I run. I didn’t expect him to be looking my way.

But he’s not looking at me.

He’s looking at where my hand meet’s Fer’ro’s, and it must be the darkness, the shadows, but something unsettling moves across his gaze.

Behind us, San’ten carries Mina.

She’s still unconscious. Limp. And I wonder how much time she has left.

The parasite is growing at a rate that isn’t “normal”—if you could call any of this normal.

We’re heading to what looks like a craggy hill and I glance back in the direction of the lake.

The machine is still there, standing tall in the night.

I wonder if it has people inside it.

No, I don’t wonder.

I know it does.

And we can’t help them.

My heart clenches and I have to pull my gaze away as I focus ahead.

If Fer’ro could help them he would have. Wouldn’t he?

He said they’d come to save us.

And I’m beginning to believe it.

We’ve slowed to a walk now, maybe because they’re being cautious, or maybe because they are tired.

But I doubt it’s the latter.

My legs are weak, I’m still limping, but I push forward.

“This will do.” Fer’ro’s voice takes me from my ruminations and I realize we’ve stopped walking.

Before us is a dark open space.

A small cave.

San’ten is the first to enter, disappearing into the darkness and Fer’ro turns to look at me.

“Go in. It is safe.”

I don’t ask how he knows. I’m past thinking his capabilities are anything like mine.

Sam grabs my hand and we make our way into the dark hole but right before we enter, I glance behind me.

Fer’ro is facing Ga’Var.

There are no words passing between them—at least, none that I can hear—but there’s an obvious aggression in the air. Like two separate charges of electricity facing each other.

We don’t go far inside and as I slide down on the ground, my eyes remain on both of them.

I can hardly see them out there, but a low hiss followed by another tells me that I was right.

“Did we miss something?” Sam whispers. “What’s wrong?”

San’ten speaks from so close behind us, I nearly jump. “He has shown you himself. His womb mate is concerned.”

He’s put Mina down and is crouched over her, and even though he’s talking to us, his focus is still on her…on her belly.

“What?” Sam whispers.

“He has shown you himself bare.”

My eyes widen a little as my gaze darts back to where Fer’ro and Ga’Var are standing.

They are so close together now, starlight almost merges their bodies into one as they snarl into each other’s faces.

I have no idea what is happening.

Was it taboo for him to show me his naked form?

It was strange but I didn’t…mind it.

At that thought, the ba’clan on my arm pulse a little and I’m once again reminded of their presence.

I slide that arm underneath me and away from the others.

I don’t want Sam concerned about me. We have Mina to worry about.

So much has happened, I can’t wait until morning to take a good look at it and assess what the hell it’s really doing to me.

With a growl that pulls my attention away from my arm, Fer’ro stalks toward us.

His voice is gruff.

“We rest here till the Scrit moves.”

“Then what?” Sam asks.

“Then our ship will come and we will go.”

FER’RO

Ga’Var is my womb mate, but at this moment, I dislike him.

We stand across from each other in this dark hole while San’ten crouches over the infested female.

“You said her invitation to eat was not about mating,” Ga’Var clicks in a tone that is too low for the hyu’mans to hear.

“It was not,” I hiss.

“Yet, you show her yourself bare.” He almost snarls but manages to keep his expression blank.

“It was not a proposition to her.”

“Good. She is not yours to claim.”

I bristle at that.

The implication is obvious.

Ga’Var wants Adee’ra and…I despise the thought.

“Neither is she yours to claim.”

Now he snarls and I sense when the two hyu’mans glance at each other.

Ga’Var has always been the one to yearn for female attention but on this planet, those instincts have to die.

“Mating is not our mission,” I remind him. “And they are too small and frail. You can see that. They cannot take us. They would break.” I pause then add, “They do not want us.”

He clicks in disagreement before his gaze falls on Adee’ra. Her eyes flick across both of us and she shivers a little.

I rumble in annoyance at myself. Loud enough for her to hear.

Thin skin.

She is cold. But we cannot make a fire lest the Gryken spot it.

So I do the only thing I can think of doing.

Moving to the ground beside her, I sit and extend my arm.

She glances at it.

“I do not know what you want me to do…”

“You are cold. Touch me. I will share my warmth.”

There’s a growl from Ga’Var and I ignore him.

If Adee’ra is anyone’s, she is mine.

That thought rocks me as she takes my hand almost nervously and the ba’clan on our arms pulse.

What will he do when he finds that out? That some of my ba’clan have transferred to her of their own free will.

A few minutes pass and my gaze is locked on my womb mates’.

He is not breaking his anger-filled stare and I will not either.

Neither of us budge till Adee’ra speaks and then we are both focusing on her.

“Where is your ship?”

I raise a hand and point above, forgetting that her vision is not the best in the dark.

“It is above. Near the large body of water. Hidden.”

“You mean like some sort of stealth mode?”

I guess you could call it that. “Correct.”

“It’s always been above us?”

“Yes.”

She digests that for a moment.

“And when the machine moves…your ship will come then you will leave.”

“Yes.”

She stiffens a little at my answer, as if my words worry her.

“Rest,” I thrum.

She doesn’t resist. Her head comes down against my arm and another thrum starts in my chest, only to be matched by a growl from my womb mate.