Page 63 of Theirs to Crave

“We must run.”

Litha was already nodding as I dropped to the ground beside her. Even Estrayuh was jumpy, although I didn’t know if she felt the danger or simply reacted to our tension.

Zaf didn’t waste time questioning or explaining. He scooped Estrella into his arms and stretched his long legs towards the den.

My mate was the best of us.

Thunder roared overhead as we ran. The fur on my back rose, shivering tingles rushing over my body. With only that much warning, I threw myself to the side, plowing into my mates and taking us all to the ground as sky fire raged through the air where we’d just been.

The storm’s rage tore through the tree above us, scorching and snapping. Great limbs crashed down, and I rolled, grunting as one punched into my back. We’d probably have to replace the basket after that blow.

I pushed up, and my mates scrambled, sprinting as soon as they got their feet beneath them. Estrayuh’s panicked face peered at me from over Zaf’s shoulder, but there was no time to comfort her. She would have to wait until we were safe in the den and out of this storm.

Litha and Zaf tore through a gap in the trees. We were close now.

They were almost to the other side when I felt the air move, the shifting pressure that came before destruction.

“Va’grev!” I shouted as my knife flashed. The heavy, unwieldy basket fell away, and I leapt forward, pulling my spear as I charged. “Go!”

Zaf was a pale streak as he sped to the shelter of the trees, Estrayuh’s dark head fur trailing in his wake. He wasn’t fast enough.

Deadlier than sky fire, ava’grevplummeted from the sky, its talons spread for the kill.

Zaf threw himself to the side, skidding and flipping over the uneven ground, his body curled protectively around Estrayuh.

The beast’s rage filled screech tore at my ears. It slammed to the ground, its great head swiveling, ribbons snapping, as it searched for its prey.

Litha sprang. She ran up theva’grev’sforeleg and vaulted onto its neck, gripping its scaly hide with her feet as she brought her spear down into its eye.

I bared my teeth in ferocious delight and launched myself at the beast’s side. It buffeted me with a massive wing, knocking me to the ground, but I rolled and went at it again, both hands gripped around the haft of my spear. It sank deep. I roared with triumph and twisted, pulling it out only to stab it again. I had to get past the bone.

Theva’grev’sribbons whipped through the air, slapping and slicing. One wrapped around my neck, flinging me to the ground. My spear fell just out of reach, and I was pulling myself towards it before my lungs remembered how to pull in air.

Estrayuh’s angry, terrified shout cut through the battle haze. My head snapped up as my hand closed around my spear, bitter fear coating my tongue.

The little Hyunan crouched in front of Zaf’s crumpled body, face to face with theva’grev. Estrayuh’s flat teeth were bared, my mate’s knife gripped in both her hands.

Litha was nowhere to be seen.

Time stopped.

Then Zaf struggled upright unsteadily, shaking his head. Blood matted the fur beneath his ear and dripped down his neck.

Theva’grevswayed, fixated. One of its ribbons shot towards Zaf, but the beast recoiled, screeching, as Estrayuh slashed with her now bloody knife.

A basket crashed into theva’grev’snose. It reared, wings outstretched, and I attacked.

I saw a flash of violet, then I tore into the beast’s wings with my claws. Running was no longer an option. It had locked onto Zaf’s blood. We couldn’t lead it back to the den. We had to drive it away.

On the other side of the beast, Litha screamed.

There was a snarled curse, then it was theva’grevthat screamed.

Blood sprayed as I tore a long strip from the leathery flesh. The beast flailed, massive body bucking and ribbons slashing. I went flying. I flipped, digging furrows in the dirt as I slid to a stop, and tensed to spring. But theva’grevhad had enough. It spun and disappeared into the sky with two beats of its damaged wings.

“Zafett? Zafett hurt?” Estrayuh was running her hands over my mate, fingers fluttering like leaves in the wind. The bloody knife lay abandoned beside her.

Litha—who was also bloody, though I couldn’t tell how much was hers and how much the beast’s—crouched beside them. “Can you run,sha’vail?”