Suddenly, Arden’s chest was so tight that she couldn’t breathe.
Air. She needed air.
She broke into a run, sprinting into another corridor. She rushed past a group of residents, heading for the closest exit. The tie in her hair slipped loose, her hair spilling around her shoulders. She reached the door, overrode the locking mechanism, and without stopping to think, shoved the door open.
Arden rushed into the darkness, running through the thick grass and into the field above the Enclave.
When she stopped, she was panting, but thankfully the pain had dulled.
Pressing her palms to her eyes, it almost hurt to realize that what she felt wasn’t the piercing, shattering grief that had once gutted her. Now, it was just a dull throb. A sad reminder that something she loved was missing.
She stood there, lifting her gaze to the stars in the inky sky above. She dragged in some deep breaths, waiting for her pulse rate to calm.
Then she heard a rustle.
A chill skated over her and she went still. Dom’s warnings rattled in her head.
No. There was no way that raptors were this close to the Enclave. There were soldiers on patrol, drones flying overhead, security cameras.
She strained to listen but heard nothing but the wind ruffling her hair. She took a step back. She should go back inside.
But before she could move, a shadow detached from the ground, flowing upward.
Arden’s throat closed.
The creature rose up in front of her.
It was covered in pitch-black scales. Her heart pounding in her ears, she watched it morph into a slender raptor, no taller than herself. Its body was lean and wiry, built for stealth, not power, like the regular raptor soldiers.
Suddenly, one sinewy arm flashed out and grabbed Arden’s bicep. Its claws bit into her skin.
She tried to wrench away, but it was too strong. Its other arm grabbed her, and it lifted her off her feet.
Arden screamed.
Dom’s boots crunched on the dirt. It had been a quiet evening on patrol. Beside him, Levi was cradling his carbine and eyeing the surrounding trees.
“You got plans after we finish?” Levi asked.
Dom shook his head. “You?”
“Gonna track down my woman. No doubt she’ll be in the maintenance hangar, working on a vehicle.” Levi’s teeth flashed white in the darkness. “She looks pretty cute streaked with grease.”
Chrissy usually worked on the Z6-Hunters, the armored vehicles the squads used in the field.
“No doubt,” Dom replied. “She works hard.”
Levi nodded. “I’ll offer to scrub her back.” He grinned again.
Dom grunted. It was fifty-fifty what Chrissy’s reaction might be. The redhead lived up to the reputation, and had swung a wrench at Levi’s head more than once.
Suddenly, a woman’s scream pierced the night.
“What the fuck?” Levi barked.
Both of them broke into a run.
They rounded a small clump of trees in the field, and the scream sounded again. Levi and Dom whipped their carbines up, slowing down and moving forward cautiously.
Then Dom saw it.
The raptor was black, sinewy, and unlike any alien he’d seen yet. The creature was holding a struggling woman in its arms.
Dom’s gut turned to rock. It was Arden.
“Let her go!” he yelled.
Arden turned her head, and in the moonlight, he saw her face was lined with fear. Her violet-blue gaze met his, and he saw a flash of relief.
The raptor made a grunting sound, turned, and started running through the long grass. It threw Arden over one lean shoulder.
Cursing, Dom and Levi gave chase, charging through the grass.
“We have some sort of stealth raptor out here,” Levi barked into his earpiece. “It’s got Arden.”
“What?” Indy’s voice came over the line. “Did you say Arden?”
“Yes,” Dom replied. “We need backup, Indy. Now.” He leaped over an uneven patch of ground.
The stealth raptor was damn fast. Dom sucked in air, pushing for more speed.
“This raptor is smaller, leaner, and faster,” Levi said. “Covered in black, scaly skin.”
“Okay, okay. I’m on it.” Indy’s voice was shaky. “Get her back, you guys.”
“I can’t get a shot,” Levi said.
Dom couldn’t either. There was too much risk of hitting Arden. He watched her twist around, ramming her elbow against the raptor’s head.
The alien stumbled, then regained its balance. It gripped the back of her shirt and shook her so violently that her head flipped forward and back.
Cazzo. Dom dropped his carbine and yanked out his knives. “Keep him busy.”
Levi nodded, firing into the night. The raptor skidded and spun. Arden had gone limp in his arms.
Be okay, bella. Dom crept up behind the raptor. The alien was focused on Levi, and Dom used the darkness to hide his approach. The dark was his old friend.
Just a bit closer. A bit closer. Dom leaped forward and jabbed the knife into the alien’s lower back. The scales weren’t as thick as a regular raptor’s, the blade meeting little resistance.
The stealth raptor roared and spun.
Dom dropped low, slashing at the raptor’s thigh.
As the creature roared again, Dom dodged and leaped up. He rammed his second blade into the alien’s shoulder.
The raptor tripped, falling to the ground, trapping Arden beneath him.
Cursing, Dom dropped down. “Arden?”
“Dom!” she cried.
“Hang on, bella.”
Terrified eyes looked up into his. He yanked another knife off his belt and plunged it into the raptor’s neck. The alien jerked and Dom slashed again, and again.
Blood spurted, and a second later, the raptor slumped and stopped moving.
Arden whimpered. “Get it off me!”
Dom gripped the creature and heaved it off her.
She sat up, shoving her hair out of her face.
“Jesus. Fuck.” Levi appeared, keeping his carbine aimed at the raptor. He toed the creature. “Arden, you okay?”
Dom stayed crouched on one knee, watching her. She was panting, trying to pull herself together.
More than anything, he wanted to touch her. Instead, he curled his fingers into his palms. She was splattered with blood—red staining her face and clothes.
“I… I…”
“Take your time, darling,” Levi said softly.
In the distance, shouts sounded. Their backup was coming.
Arden
