I launch myself over a writhing vine, its surface glistening with what I can only assume is digestive fluid. My ragged gasps echo in my ears as the oppressive humidity clings to my skin. Sweat trickles down my back, soaking into the leather of my ridiculous, impractical outfit.
A rustle in the undergrowth stops me cold, my heart thundering against my ribs. I strain to hear past the rush of blood in my ears, every muscle tense and ready to bolt.
I shoot a venomous glare at the sleek drone hovering nearby, its unblinking eye capturing my every stumble and gasp. My fingers twitch with the urge to swat it out of the air, but I know it’s pointless. The thing isn’t here to help—it’s just another cruel reminder that my suffering is nothing more than entertainment for some twisted audience. I can almost hear their laughter as I struggle through this nightmare, and it makes my blood boil.
Suddenly, a vine-like tendril shoots out from behind a mushroom, wrapping around my ankle. I yelp, trying to yank my foot free, but the plant’s grip is like iron. More tendrils emerge, reaching for me with hungry, grasping ends.
I look around frantically for something, anything I can use to defend myself. My eyes land on a sturdy-looking branch, and I lunge for it, my fingers closing around the rough bark as I snap it off and start whacking at the vines, feeling them shudder and recoil with each blow. Finally, they release their grip, and I stumble back, gasping for breath.
Jesus. And I’ve only been here for a couple of minutes.
I can’t stay put. I need to keep moving. But which way should I go? The swamp seems to stretch out in every direction, an endless sea of green, purple, and brown.
There’s no time. I pick a direction at random and start running, my feet slipping and sliding in the muck. Spores tickle my throat, and I clamp my mouth shut, fighting the urge to cough. Each shallow breath is a battle, the noxious air threatening to choke me with every step.
As I stumble through the swamp, my mind races. The last thing I need right now is to round a corner and come face-to-face with Krakenos’s emotionless black eyes or Vornas’s predatory grin. My heart pounds, not just from exertion, but from the constant fear of what—or who—might be lurking in the shadows of this alien hellscape.
I groan and keep moving, trying not to think about it.
I’m not letting this biome or those warriors have me.
Not without a fight.
Chapter 4
Krakenos
I move through the swamp with lethal grace, my body cleaving the murky water effortlessly. This alien terrain poses no challenge; I’ve conquered far deadlier environments on Mythos. Every ripple, every rustle, every distant cry resonates through my heightened senses, painting a vivid map of my surroundings. Each detail is a breadcrumb, leading me inexorably to her.
Mia.
I keep moving. The swamp is a maze of hidden perils, but I am its master. My body, honed by generations of evolution, moves with fluid precision. I navigate effortlessly, leaping from solid ground to solid ground, avoiding the hungry mire that would claim lesser beings.
Then I spot them—delicate impressions in the soft mud.
Mia’s footprints.
My pulse quickens as her scent floods my senses—sweet, intoxicating, igniting a surge of desire that courses through my body.
She’s close.
The urge to claim her, to make her mine, nearly overwhelms me.
I increase my pace, my gaze locked on her trail. The swamp teems with life around me, but it fades into the background. My world narrows to Mia, to finding her, to ensuring her safety.
A sudden commotion to my right snaps my attention. I whirl, ready to face any threat, only to be struck by a sight that sends a jolt through my chest.
It’s Mia battling furiously against a tangle of aggressive vines. Her brown eyes blaze bravely, even as fear etches her features. She wields a crude weapon, her movements desperate but resolute.
A true warrior.
I step forward, instinct demanding I protect her, but I hesitate. I watch, transfixed, as she fights her way free. Her strength, her resilience—it’s breathtaking.
She’s everything I could desire in a mate.
With a final, triumphant swing, Mia breaks free from the vines’ grasp. She pauses, chest heaving, then sets off again, her gaze fixed ahead. She hasn’t noticed me yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
I shadow her at a distance, content for now to observe. Her strength impresses me, but the harsh reality remains—she can’t survive this hostile world alone. She needs me, even if she doesn’t know it yet.
And I’ll be there, ready to claim her when the time comes.
I break a branch with deliberate force, the sharp crack echoing through the dense foliage. It’s a calculated move, designed to alert Mia to my presence and gauge her reaction.
As expected, the sound ignites her survival instincts. She bolts, her fear propelling her forward with renewed vigor. But in these alien woods, I am the apex predator, and she has yet to learn the intricacies of this hazardous terrain.
I move with fluid grace, each step silent and precise. In an instant, I materialize before her, emerging from the underbrush like a specter. Mia skids to a halt, her eyes widening.
For a moment, I allow myself to admire her indomitable spirit, but I wonder at her refusal to accept my aid, given my obvious physical advantages.
“You are mine to protect, little one,” I rumble, my voice a blend of authority and gentleness. The intoxicating scent of her fear fills my gills, and I yearn to calm her, to show her that I am an ally, yet I know I must tread carefully. Her independence is clearly as vital to her as water is to my kind, and I will not be the one to strip it away.
Mia’s gaze darts between me and the path behind her, assessing her options. Her full lips press into a hard line. “I don’t need your protection,” she asserts, her voice steady despite the subtle tremor in her hands.
I incline my head, acknowledging her words without yielding ground. “Whether you accept it or not, it is my duty—and my desire—to ensure your safety. The perils of this world are beyond your comprehension.”
She crosses her arms, a defiant gesture that inadvertently draws my attention to her mammalian attributes. I’m captivated by the soft curves, so different from my own physiology…
