Page 63 of Stalker

"Stop her!" He stumbles back, pointing at me with a trembling finger. "Guards! Kill her!"

The grolgath mercenaries lumber forward, but I feel no fear. Only hunger. Only rage. Their massive forms seem slow and clumsy now through my enhanced senses. My new claws flex with deadly promise.

The collar thrums against my throat, resonating with Bruticus's power. His strength courses through my veins likeliquid fire. I bare my teeth in a feral grin, feeling them sharpen to points.

"What have you done to my daughter?" My father's voice cracks.

"You did this," I snarl, my voice deeper and rougher than before. "You made me what I am."

The first grolgath swings his massive fist at my head. Time slows. His movements look like swimming through syrup. I duck under his arm and rake my claws across his belly.

Blood sprays. The scent hits my nostrils and something primal awakens. A howl tears from my throat as I leap onto the second grolgath's chest. My teeth find his throat. The taste of copper floods my mouth.

"Sweet merciful heaven," my father whispers.

The third grolgath backs away. His fear perfumes the air. My lips pull back from blood-stained teeth. The bone spurs along my arms lengthen, sharpen.

"Please... don't..." The grolgath raises his hands.

I pounce. My claws shred through armor like paper. Bone crunches beneath my grip. The grolgath's screams cut off in a wet gurgle.

"Maryse!" Vorpa calls from her restraints. "Behind you!"

The lab doors burst open. Armed guards pour in, weapons raised. Their shots ping off my hardened skin. I crouch, ready to spring.

"Take her down!" someone shouts.

More guards stream through the door. Too many. The room fills with the acrid stench of gunpowder and ozone. My newfound strength thrums through my veins, but even I can't fight them all.

A guard's laser blast catches me in the shoulder. It stings, barely, but forces me back a step. Another shot grazes my leg.

"I'm sorry," I lock eyes with Vorpa and Prova. "I'll come back for you."

Vorpa nods. "Go!"

I dive through the window in a shower of glass. The night air whips past as I fall, my new body somehow knowing exactly how to land.

Through the shattered window, I spot Bruticus in the courtyard below. A sea of guards surrounds him, their weapons trained on his position. His bone spurs glisten with blood, but there are too many enemies even for him.

My heart pounds. The collar pulses in time with it, feeding me more of his strength. I leap from my perch, sailing through the air like a dark angel of death.

I land in the middle of their ranks, my claws finding purchase in soft flesh. Blood sprays as I tear through the first wave of guards. Their screams fill the night air.

"Maryse!" Bruticus's voice carries over the chaos.

Our eyes meet across the battlefield. His red irises blaze with renewed fury. The sight of him fills me with savage joy.

"Behind you!" I call out.

Bruticus whirls, his claws decapitating two guards in a single sweep. I dance through their ranks toward him, my new reaper body moving with deadly grace. Each slash of my claws opens throats and spills entrails.

We fight back to back, our movements perfectly synchronized through our bond. His strength flows into me through the collar, making my strikes hit harder, my movements faster.

"You're magnificent," Bruticus growls between swipes.

I laugh, the sound wild and feral. "So are you."

Bodies pile around us as we tear through the guards. Their weapons prove useless against our hardened skin. Those who try to flee meet swift ends.