Saved by the Alien Crime Boss (Aliens Among Us #4)

Chapter 31

THIRTY-ONE

Sevik didn’t want to take his eyes off his mate. He had to watch her, had to see her reach the cover of the forest. But he couldn’t.

Astyr broke free from Sevik’s legs, grasped the front of his shirt, and dragged him off Jakalg. “You fucking?—”

Sevik snapped his head forward, hammering the thick bases of his horns into Astyr’s face. The other korasi stumbled backward with blue blood pouring from his crushed nose.

Run, Mina. Run.

Jakalg wrapped a thick arm around Sevik’s neck from behind, almost entirely cutting off his airflow. Righting himself, Astyr lunged, driving his knee into Sevik’s gut. Sevik grunted, but the pain was far away. Jakalg drew back, forcing Sevik more upright and keeping his abdomen exposed for Astyr’s subsequent strikes.

“Fucking hruta !” Brekker shouted as he emerged from behind the SUV.

“Let’s finish him.” Astyr spat blood onto the snow. “The female won’t get far.” He swayed back when Sevik kicked at him, avoiding the boot and answering with another knee to Sevik’s stomach.

“No.” Favoring one leg, Brekker took a few halting steps forward. Tendrils of smoke curled from a long, deep plasma burn on his left thigh. “He doesn’t get to have a quick death. Knock him the fuck out and secure him in the hold.”

He continued in the direction Mina had gone, speeding up to an uneven lope.

“Don’t you fucking run from me, you coward!” Sevik choked out, straining toward Brekker.

But Brekker continued onward without response, slowed by his wound but undeterred.

“ Zekt’al , ilventyr, get up and stick him already,” Jakalg said, shifting his weight to hold Sevik back.

Laszlo sat up, clamped a hand over his shoulder, and shook his head. “ Kregvahk . I’m not getting paid to be shot. My job is fucking done.”

With a curse of his own, Astyr turned to scan the ground for the fallen injector.

Out of sight, Brekker’s footfalls moved closer and closer to the trees.

“Hurry the fuck up, Astyr!” Jakalg leaned farther back, putting yet more pressure on Sevik’s throat.

Hurry.

Mina needs me.

Sevik pressed his claws against Jakalg’s belly, planted his heels in the snow, and shoved himself backward.

Jakalg grunted as he lost his balance and fell onto his back. Sevik came down atop him, his weight driving his claws into the navat’s abdomen.

With an agonized cry, Jakalg released Sevik’s neck and pushed as though to dislodge him. Sevik hooked his fingers, sinking his claws deeper.

Astyr spun toward them. He grasped Sevik’s shirt with both hands again, hauling him up, but Sevik locked his arms, using Jakalg as an anchor.

“Get him the fuck off me!” Jakalg shouted raggedly.

Astyr widened his legs and bent down farther. Before he could pull again, Sevik darted his head forward and buried his teeth in the other korasi’s throat. Warm blood flowed into his mouth, over his lips, and down his chin.

Astry screamed and pushed away from Sevik, who wrenched his head back, tearing out a chunk of Astyr’s flesh as he fell atop Jakalg once more. The tips of his horns struck flesh and bone.

Jakalg struggled to get his hands up in defense as Sevik drove the points of his horns down repeatedly. Bone crunched, flesh squelched, and rattling breaths escaped from mashed lips until Jakalg stilled.

Growling, Sevik sat up and spat the tattered flesh from his mouth.

Astyr lay on his back with both hands clasped over his neck, weakly kicking his legs on the snow. Frothy blood bubbled through his fingers, and his chest heaved with gurgling breaths.

Sevik shifted his gaze to Laszlo, who remained sitting on the snow, stunned as he watched.

“ Felyrog bor gethuk.” Still clutching his shoulder, the ilventyr scrambled to his feet.

Crimson pulsed at the edges of Sevik’s consciousness as he got up and gave chase to the fleeing ilventyr, who ran for the SUV. Sevik’s long, rapid strides quickly closed the distance between them.

“I’m not part of this!” Laszlo called. “He hired me as…as a guide!”

Laszlo glanced over his shoulder and uttered another curse. He stumbled, nearly tripping over his own feet, before turning to face Sevik. He plunged his left hand into his right coat pocket and tried to pull something out.

The object caught on the pocket’s lining.

Sevik lowered his head and rammed Laszlo with his horns, striking the ilventyr’s sternum.

Bones snapped, and air exploded from Laszlo. He fell onto his back.

Sevik skidded to a halt over the dazed, squirming ilventyr. Somewhere in the woods, a plasma weapon fired, its high report muffled by the trees.

Sevik’s heart quickened.

Mina!

No time. No more time.

He pinned Lazlo’s hands beneath his boots and sat hard on the ilventyr’s chest, ignoring the breathless pleas as he forced his bound hands into Laszlo’s pocket. Finally, he found what he sought, buried under the pistol Laszlo had attempted to draw—a small, rounded control. He pressed the button.

The maglock cuffs separated from one another before unsealing and falling from Sevik’s wrists.

The primal fury at his core roared in triumph, at last freed from all restrictions, at last uncaged.

Laszlo shook his head. “I was…just… Please…”

Sevik drew the pistol from Laszlo’s pocket and fired three bolts into the ilventyr’s face. The sounds of the shots hadn’t finished echoing across the clearing before Sevik was on his feet and sprinting after Mina.

Hold on, val’syra . I’m coming.