“I saw the smoke
from their fire.”
“Yeah, you were right,” said another.
A third looked at their temporary camp. “And it looks as if they
have some supplies.”
“What do you want?” Kylah asked.
The fourth male smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We thought
we’d come and see who was out here. We don’t come across other people much.
Since there are so few of us, it’d be nice of you to share some of your
supplies.”
“No,” Kylah said.
The male shook his head. “That’s the wrong answer. This is our
territory. You want to stay here, you’ll give us what we want.” He looked at
Rune. “What do you say, big man? We can do this the easy way or not.”
Rune wasn’t going to be able to keep up his act, not with these
males around. Each one either had a rifle slung over their shoulders or
handguns holstered at their hips. One had both. There was no question they’d shoot
him if they discovered he wasn’t human. They all had a cruel look about them.
He put his arm around Kylah’s shoulders and pulled her up against
his side. “My woman and I don’t want any trouble,” he said in perfect English.
“We’re only passing through. We can’t spare any of our supplies.”
Kylah stiffened as he’d spoken, but a quick glance at her face
showed that was her only reaction.
“Really now,” the man said. “If you won’t share them, then how about
your woman? Everyone who crosses our territory has to pay a toll. Isn’t that
right, boys?” He glanced at the three other males, who grinned and nodded.
Rune squeezed Kylah’s shoulder as she opened her mouth to speak. He
spoke before she could. “She’s mine. I don’t share. As for paying a toll, we
aren’t doing that either.”
“You talk big for a man with no firearm.” The male patted his
handgun.
“And you talk big for one who wouldn’t be so tough if his were taken
away.”
The male’s phony smile disappeared. “You really should watch what
you say to me.”
“Why?”
He pulled his gun and aimed it at Rune’s head. “I’ll shoot you, rape
your woman before I slit her throat, then we’ll take your supplies, anyway.”
Kylah pushed away and drew her sword. “That won’t be happening.”
As the male changed his aimed to Kylah, the others drew their
firearms as well. The man who’d been talking fired in her direction. The bullet
never reached her because she no longer was where she’d stood. The male found
out how sharp her sword was as she ran to him so fast Rune had a hard time
tracking her and stabbed him through the heart.
Rune watched Kylah quickly take out two more before they could fire
a shot. Same with the changed humans they’d encountered, she moved as if the
sword was just an extension of her body.
As she went to take out the fourth and final male, Rune bolted. This
could very well be his only chance at escape while Kylah was preoccupied. That
didn’t last very long, though. He was hit from behind and knocked to the
ground. She grabbed him and literally lifted him one handed into the air to
flip him onto his back.
Kylah straddled him and then held him down with a hand on the center
of his chest. She was so strong he couldn’t budge an inch. He looked up and
sucked in a sharp breath. Her eyes glowed.
“I told you not to run,” she shouted. “I told you I’d be able to
catch you!”
“I had to try.”
“Shut up. You pushed them to make them go on the attack. You did it
on purpose. You made me kill them. Before your kind ever came here, I never
would have hurt anyone. You made me kill. You made me kill him .”
Tears formed in her glowing eyes. Rune had a feeling she wasn’t
talking about one of the males back there, but someone closer to her. A mate?
“Kylah—”
“I told you to shut the fuck up. All this time you knew English and
you played as if you didn’t.” She leaned closer until they were almost nose to
nose. “You might think you’ll be able to capture me as you’ve done
from their fire.”
“Yeah, you were right,” said another.
A third looked at their temporary camp. “And it looks as if they
have some supplies.”
“What do you want?” Kylah asked.
The fourth male smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We thought
we’d come and see who was out here. We don’t come across other people much.
Since there are so few of us, it’d be nice of you to share some of your
supplies.”
“No,” Kylah said.
The male shook his head. “That’s the wrong answer. This is our
territory. You want to stay here, you’ll give us what we want.” He looked at
Rune. “What do you say, big man? We can do this the easy way or not.”
Rune wasn’t going to be able to keep up his act, not with these
males around. Each one either had a rifle slung over their shoulders or
handguns holstered at their hips. One had both. There was no question they’d shoot
him if they discovered he wasn’t human. They all had a cruel look about them.
He put his arm around Kylah’s shoulders and pulled her up against
his side. “My woman and I don’t want any trouble,” he said in perfect English.
“We’re only passing through. We can’t spare any of our supplies.”
Kylah stiffened as he’d spoken, but a quick glance at her face
showed that was her only reaction.
“Really now,” the man said. “If you won’t share them, then how about
your woman? Everyone who crosses our territory has to pay a toll. Isn’t that
right, boys?” He glanced at the three other males, who grinned and nodded.
Rune squeezed Kylah’s shoulder as she opened her mouth to speak. He
spoke before she could. “She’s mine. I don’t share. As for paying a toll, we
aren’t doing that either.”
“You talk big for a man with no firearm.” The male patted his
handgun.
“And you talk big for one who wouldn’t be so tough if his were taken
away.”
The male’s phony smile disappeared. “You really should watch what
you say to me.”
“Why?”
He pulled his gun and aimed it at Rune’s head. “I’ll shoot you, rape
your woman before I slit her throat, then we’ll take your supplies, anyway.”
Kylah pushed away and drew her sword. “That won’t be happening.”
As the male changed his aimed to Kylah, the others drew their
firearms as well. The man who’d been talking fired in her direction. The bullet
never reached her because she no longer was where she’d stood. The male found
out how sharp her sword was as she ran to him so fast Rune had a hard time
tracking her and stabbed him through the heart.
Rune watched Kylah quickly take out two more before they could fire
a shot. Same with the changed humans they’d encountered, she moved as if the
sword was just an extension of her body.
As she went to take out the fourth and final male, Rune bolted. This
could very well be his only chance at escape while Kylah was preoccupied. That
didn’t last very long, though. He was hit from behind and knocked to the
ground. She grabbed him and literally lifted him one handed into the air to
flip him onto his back.
Kylah straddled him and then held him down with a hand on the center
of his chest. She was so strong he couldn’t budge an inch. He looked up and
sucked in a sharp breath. Her eyes glowed.
“I told you not to run,” she shouted. “I told you I’d be able to
catch you!”
“I had to try.”
“Shut up. You pushed them to make them go on the attack. You did it
on purpose. You made me kill them. Before your kind ever came here, I never
would have hurt anyone. You made me kill. You made me kill him .”
Tears formed in her glowing eyes. Rune had a feeling she wasn’t
talking about one of the males back there, but someone closer to her. A mate?
“Kylah—”
“I told you to shut the fuck up. All this time you knew English and
you played as if you didn’t.” She leaned closer until they were almost nose to
nose. “You might think you’ll be able to capture me as you’ve done
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