Unmatched

by Annalise Alexis

  “You are not fit to carry an Illusian weapon, traitor.” Catching the beast in front of me by the throat, smoke rises and ripples as it burns to death in my grasp. I inhale the scent of burnt flesh and pain. Beautiful.

  “Then as a child in training, I will earn my blade.” Xen lowers the weapon, placing it on the floor with reverence, and begins taking on the Inokine with his bare fists. Inky blood splatters as he connects with its face. He stumbles back—his ill-defined muscles are no longer able to support his weight without a struggle.

  “Xen—” Illaria presses her back against his, straightening him—providing a brace for him to balance himself, and he grabs her wrist.

  “There is no need for you to fight for me. I can sustain myself. Seek cover.”

  Their sentimental exchange continues as she squeezes his hand. The touch is insulting, violating our laws, and yet the two have no shame. “You are to be mine. I am protecting myself. Without you, I cannot be whole.”

  “Then it is my honor to fight beside you.”

  I glare, narrowly avoiding the jaws of two Inokine thrusting themselves at me. Filthy trash beasts have already unlatched their robes, allowing their sex to hang freely in anticipation. Grabbing the scythe at my waist, I swing in a wide arc and they scream, falling to the floor and clutching the meager remains of their appendages. Disgusting heathens. They will never violate another.

  “The Aciana has declared you able to defend yourself. You wish to continue? Hurry, girl, for I have little time.” Illaria is strong but has in no way reached the mastery required for my confidence.

  She nods.

  So be it. She has made her choice.

  The scent of fear burns the back of my throat. Leveraging my weight, I jump to the railing above. A high pitch scream, then a loud pop follows. Xandria. She is in danger.

  One step. Two. Three. I close the distance between us just as she tumbles out of her room, clinging to the back of an Inokine, bashing it in the head with—what is that? The metal leg of her chair?

  How resourceful.

  My toes curl as I prepare to pounce, but then her scent hits me. Anger. Not fear. Tears drip down her face as she continues to smash the metal into the monster’s skull. The wound is deep and wide. A loud thwack rings out as she brings it down once more and the Inokine falls to the floor.

  Showered with its inky blood, she stands with her chest heaving. Looking down, she kicks its limp body, just as another screams and tumbles over the rail, smacking its head on the table below and breaking its neck.

  Amina runs to join us. “We are tired of being afraid, Naya. It is our turn to make them cower.”

  Amina, Xandria, Urina, Injari—all armed. My urge to protect them, to hide them away, screams but the determination in their gazes changes my course of action. I will protect them, but they will dirty their hands with Inokine blood and reclaim their power while doing it.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Ren

  My mate is near, and with her, the need to kill and destroy intensifies. She is mine to protect. The violence within me churns, waiting for the next opportunity to be unleashed.

  I sacrificed a large bounty of kills, refusing to rely solely on the males under my command to protect her. Although I tasted a hint of revenge slicing through those abominations, my hunger is not sated. My need to rid the universe of those that pose her harm is unrelenting.

  Taking pause after sealing the door from the receiving bay, I slam my eyes shut, glimpsing what lies ahead. Illusian blood drips down Nexx’s arms as he lunges right, bringing his blade up to sever the arm of his opponent. Wires spark, and the red-skinned beast continues to advance on him, completely unfazed.

  These creatures have been modified, both the white and red species—bred for war games. A product of their breeding experiments. The scent of their blood masks their genealogy. Sol stands close to my mate, guarding her from the back. I do not care for his proximity, but it is necessary. He holds his weapon well, offering a level of protection I did not expect.

  Sticking close to the wall, we pass unscathed down the empty corridor. The sounds of battle drown out the now muffled alarms, and Jayla shifts closer. I grip her hand until we clear the bridge. She grimaces, displeased with the carnage strewn about in front of her, but she does not slow. Instead, she presses on, climbing over the legions of dead bodies on the floor until she reaches the top of the stairs.

  “Damn, how many were there? I count at least fifty and that’s just in here. They really blew through them that quickly?” my mate asks, taking in the sea of destruction below us.

  “We are not a race to be trifled with.”

  A sense of pride blooms in my chest. My warriors wreaked havoc on the hybrid abominations created here. We are unmatched in strength and prowess. Anyone who dares to challenge us will die.

  “I don’t know Ren, this feels too…easy. All that planning, we just walked in?”

  “We did not walk, Skara. We slaughtered.”

  Slipping into Nexx’s mind once more provides clarity. The males have forced their way past the initial group of guards toward the interior and are waiting for our arrival.

  “Sol, the comms. Now. And rescan the compound. Ensure there are no more surprises.” Within moments, he completes his task, ensuring these pricks cannot call for help. Empty labs and deserted offices pass in a blur as my lust for vengeance grows. They’re here. I can feel it. The stain of their sins hangs heavy in the air, and finally, they will suffer at my hands.

  Orion, painted like a true warrior, red and purple from head to heel, pounds his fist against his chest in greeting. He has set up a barrier in one of the station’s gathering rooms while Tor and Tao scout ahead.

  “Report.”

  “Three-hundred and forty kills so far. Nexx has two minor wounds, Tao one, and I caught a blast to the calf. Tor, Ragar, and Rivan are without injury.”

  “And the shit stains we came here for?”

  A wide grin spreads over the male’s face. “If the scans are correct, just beyond this wall, past another open area like this.”

  Sol holds up a diagram of the floor plan. “I have scanned again, Acia. There are several heat signatures, forty or less by my estimate. It appears we have exterminated most of the opposition.”

  My mate struggles to see, so I angle the tablet down. “So, that big cluster of red splotches is more of those things? Why are they all huddled together?” she asks, dragging a finger across the screen.

  “In all likelihood, yes. Tor, Tao? Report.”

  Jayla cocks her head. “They’re already back? That was quick.”

  “Too quick.”

  Rather than wait for them to speak, I slip into their minds. First Tao, and then Tor, absorbing everything they observed. Extensive security measures. Biometric scanners. They could not venture very far. We will have to advance blind to our dangers, and I do not like it one fucking bit.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Jayla

  My jaw is clenched so tight I swear I my teeth are going to break. Ren wasn’t exaggerating when he said this had been a slaughter. The things fought hard but were no match for Ren and the other Illusians. No matter how many times I try to convince myself to relax, that we’ve got the situation under control, my body refuses to listen.

  I’m in the middle of the group, surrounded on all sides as we make our way toward what I think is the center of the station. Nothing makes any sense. There’s no one here. No females or young. Was that human douchebag full of shit, or is there something I’m missing?

  “Where are all the experiments, Ren? All the beings held against their will?”

  His eyes remain focused on our path ahead, vigilantly scanning. He’s prepared to attack at a moment’s notice. Another bioscanner forces us to stop and wait for Sol to override the door. If he hadn’t come with us, we’d have been completely screwed. I hope the other males see that. Because I swear, if they continue to give him the side eye, even after all he’s done for us
today, I’m going to lose it.

  There’s a nagging feeling in my gut. A little kernel of fear that won’t go away. “I know I’ve harped on this, but I still don’t get it. Something feels very wrong.”

  Ren raises his head, flaring his nostrils as he drags in a full breath of air. After overriding the last scanner, we’ve reached a midway point between the sectioned-off areas, and have paused for Sol to work his magic on all the ridiculous death traps that line the halls and ceilings. We know Braxick’s in his office, we just have to figure out how to get there. That’s one thing we got from the jerk that set us up. The colonel is the type of male who’d refuse to evacuate, and he’s got a safe room set up inside that’s supposed to be impenetrable.

  Well, whoever claims that has clearly never met Ren.

  “Rivan, Tao, stand guard in my place. I want to scout. My mate is correct. This is not a normal attack pattern.”

  Sol gets up to follow Ren as he takes off toward the exit to our left. “Acia, wait. That may not be necessary. By all accounts, this station has limited funding. The majority of the creatures were dispatched in the initial fray. There are more of them on the scanners, but they are positioned closer to the colonel’s whereabouts. This pattern is to be exp—”

  Ren spins, nearly knocking Sol over. I straighten, pushing off the wall I was leaning on, and start toward them. Ren is literally about to explode. The lights start to flicker on and off, and I freeze.

  What the hell is going on now?

  Ren’s eyes connect with mine, no doubt in response to my spike of fear, and his indecision trickles down the bond.

  “Just stay,” I manage, anxiety threatening to swallow me whole. “Get back over here. You’re halfway down the hall, and we don’t even know what’s there.”

  He’s staring at me, ignoring Sol’s continuing explanation, and then…he’s not. A shadow—big enough to swallow half the room—drops from the ceiling behind him, and I try to scream, but I can’t.

  Oh, God.

  Suspended mid-air by a massive black spike, Sol’s crumpled form flops in the final death throes from the monster’s… what the hell are those?

  Sol. No… He sacrificed himself. For Ren. One second he was talking, and the next he flung himself at the giant beast whose spike was headed right for my mate’s heart.

  “Get him down! Get him fucking down!” I scream, lunging toward the beast, only focused on my friend. He’s dead. The deep bronze of his skin fades by the second, and it’s all I can do not to wail.

  He deserved so much more. These pricks have taken everything from us, and now this?

  Not him. It isn’t fucking fair.

  Ren and the other Illusians go berserk, stabbing and clawing at the thing, but it’s covered in thick, armored scales, and with the way it’s curled in on itself, I can’t see what’s underneath. Even the males’ barbs can’t penetrate it.

  Like something out of a nightmare, its giant body shifts, blurring out of focus, and six tentacle-like arms out shoot out from underneath its hard exterior, twisting and squeezing the males, then flinging them every which way.

  It can shapeshift. Create its own weapons.

  Orion smashes into the wall with a sickening crunch and, judging by how he’s dragging his leg as he rushes back hell bent on killing the monstrosity, it’s broken.

  All I can think about is Iana and that tiny baby growing inside her.

  I refuse to let that child grow up without a dad.

  Blood and chunks of skin go flying as one tentacle shifts and forms another massive spike that shears off part of Tao’s leg.

  Fuck, this can’t be happening.

  I’ve never seen them bleed unless they’re sparring with one another, and this thing is killing them.

  Killing Ren.

  My adrenaline kicks into overdrive. I have to do something.

  The males continue fighting, using every weapon they have, but their attacks bounce right off. Nothing can get past those black scales. I grab the blade Sol left beside his bag and charge forward.

  “Skara, no!” Ren yells as he continues to fight the beast, and I can feel him diving into my mind, trying to command my body to stop. Pain ratchets down my spine as he exerts his will, pushing hard enough for blood to stream down his face, but I ignore him and shove my way through. I can’t lose anyone else. I have to try.

  The hairs stand on the back of my neck, and even though I can’t see its face, I can feel the creature watching me. Tracking me.

  A loud crack resounds through the room as the creature throws the males, Ren included, and I’m left alone, weapon in hand, facing down one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

  The thing shifts again, its black skin rippling like a liquid mirror. Opening up its hard outer shell, a blubbery middle snakes out and forms a face. Eyes, like solid white globes, focus solely on me. The thing scents the air and makes a sound I can only describe as an excited purr. Ren charges at me, but before he can reach my side, the thing transforms one of its tentacles into a hammer-like appendage and smashes it into his chest. He latches on, refusing to let go.

  No! Ren!

  I scream, reaching out, desperate to touch him, but a massive tentacle wraps around my waist. My arm is pinned, my hand still clutching Sol’s blade, but I can’t move it. The crunch of Ren’s ribs is audible as the mallet shifts into a vise and begins to crush him. Pain. Fear. All-consuming rage pours down our bond. He fights against the creature, clawing and tearing at the binds that hold him, but where he gouges, the thing heals.

  “Mine!” he roars, his fingers and knuckles covered in blood. His blood. He’s tearing his skin trying to get to me.

  “You can’t breathe. I can feel it. The harder you fight, the tighter it squeezes. Fuck, Ren! Stop!”

  “Never!”

  The other Illusians, broken and battered, are on their feet, attacking full force. Ragar is tearing at the monster’s flesh, trying to free Ren, but no matter what they do, nothing makes a difference.

  A cool numbness spreads throughout my body, Ren doing what he can to take away my pain, and I realize something is missing.

  The beast isn’t hurting me.

  My body jerks as the thing coils itself around me, and my vision goes dark as it brings me close to its underbelly and the harsh, steel like scales seal around me. At first, I panic. The soft texture of its skin completely surrounds me, coating me. It’s like shoving my face in a pillow. I feel like I’m suffocating, except somehow…I can still breathe. Not only that, I can feel the beat of a massive heart. The monster’s heart.

  Terror tightens my throat. Not just my own, but Ren’s. I can feel the impact of his weight as he launches himself on top of the thing, feel his rage and uncontrolled anger as he tries to tear it apart, but he can’t.

  “Skara,” Ren yells, right as something wet and ice cold fills my ears.

  That thing. It’s inside me, those black tentacles snaking their way into my brain.

  My vision dims, and the hand clutching Sol’s weapon to my chest goes limp.

  “I am coming, I fucking swear it,” Ren declares. “Speak to me!”

  I can’t. I know he’s trying to reach me. I can hear him through our bond, but I can’t answer. The noise around me doubles, Ren and the other males frenzied in their efforts to get to me, but instead of trying to kill them, the beast only defends itself.

  It wants to keep me.

  It doesn’t speak. But when I stop fighting the invasion of whatever organic matter fills my ears, I can feel its intentions. It knows me somehow. My scent. It’s been taught to recognize me—and defend me. There is a sense of unholy affection to the way it cushions my body. It’s almost like a mother holding on to its child. No matter how hard Ren and the other Illusians continue to fight, they won’t be able to free me.

  It’s too strong. This must be his crowned glory, the thing that Braxick always wanted my great-grandfather to create. It has limited intelligence, and I don’t know how
or why, but it knows who and what it is. A multi-celled organism made from the DNA of over twenty different species. Interbred to make the perfect weapon. It reacts instantly, killing without thought, without remorse. It can shift, mold, or transform into anything it desires, and its mind cannot be controlled. This thing is the ultimate line of defense.

  “Skara…” Ren screams in my mind. “Speak! I know you still live!”

  He’s panicked. And so fucking angry he can barely think. The strength of his emotions is overwhelming, and I fight against the thing in my head, doing my best to push it out so I can comfort him. It won’t hurt me. But it will kill every single one of them if they continue to fight. And they will. To the death.

  Then I will have lost everything.

  The thing stirs, whining as I strain against the connection. It doesn’t like my resistance. In fact, its feelings are hurt. A strange sense of sadness fills me, and I know what I have to do. Gathering my strength, I shove against its hold, denying it the connection it so desperately wants. It’s so lonely, and in any other circumstance, I’d be sympathetic, but not now.

  A sliver of my control returns. Sol’s weapon is still in my hand. I push harder, fighting against the dizziness and the nausea, and I tighten my grip around the hilt.

  Almost…there.

  Using everything I have left, I plunge the tip of Sol’s blade straight through its heart.

  Betrayal and a deep sense of hurt fill my mind as it writhes in pain. It brought me into its folds to protect me, the only thing it has been taught to love, and I used that against it. Bright light burns my eyes as the thing rips itself out of my mind and shoves me into the open air.

  Ren’s blood-soaked body wraps around me, and I hold on for dear life as he rushes me to a corner. Pure love and relief pulse through the bond, and I can feel every single one of his unbound emotions pouring through me.

  It takes several blinks for my eyes to focus, the stained fabric of Ren’s shirt soaking up my tears. The Illusian males are completely beat to shit and fixated on the monster as it writhes and seizes on the floor. Their eyes are filled with pride. The sight of Sol’s blade embedded in its chest as it dies brings them a small amount of comfort.