Taming the Queen of Beasts

RIKA

Rika sat, horrified, in the ring of vehicles that had been circled like a convoy of pilgrim wagons.

She'd shut down the tech. Removed their communication and masking—and the Anima had been ready with their first wave. But now, half an hour later, dozens of Anima had been shot, captured, or fled. And Jared was still alive—as were most of the soldiers.

Rika tried to shift to a more comfortable position, but she had one eye swollen almost shut, and her jaw was swollen too. She sat on the dirt, her back to the wheel of one of the jeep-truck things, her hands bound, as Jared stood in the bed of one of the other trucks, issuing instructions and organizing the men he had left.

The humans were calling for blood as they tried desperately to get the system reset.

Where were the rest of the guards? Rika knew they hadn't planned to bring the full assault, but… as more and more Anima were dragged into the circle of vehicles, her hope began to die.

There were too many guns. With a gun, one man could fell or control several Anima. And they had.

The soldiers were well trained. Many had lost their lives, but not enough. And the weapons of those who'd fallen just supplied those who lived.

Jared was in his element, issuing orders and barking insults when they weren't followed fast enough. He didn't seem particularly concerned about their tech being down.

There was a way to reset most of the devices, Rika knew. But she'd hoped that the time it took to do so would provide a big enough window to defeat the humans completely.

Instead, she stood here, looking around the circle, and apologizing with her eyes to every Anima gaze she met.

Then there was a rumble as one of the vehicles was pulled out of the line to allow four men to lead a growling, spitting Gar into the circle. Rika's heart leaped and sank in the same breath.

Close to a foot taller than most of the men, he looked even more massive than usual. But he was heavily bound and shaking—clearly unsteady on his feet. Given the way he kept blinking and shaking his head, Rika guessed that he'd been tranquilized.

They had a unique tranquilizer that paralyzed the victim for a few minutes without stealing their consciousness.

It would have been terrifying for him. Yet, even off-balance and defeated, Gar stumbled into the circle with pride and strength humming in every line of his body.

His eyes found hers immediately.

She was just lighting up, just sucking in a breath to shout her love to him, when his face flattened and he looked away.

Rika's cry of joy died in her throat.

She blinked and—was he angry with her for failing? Refusing to forgive her?

No… no… he didn't want them to know she meant something to him. Her breathing picked up and Rika shifted her seat again, trying to get more comfortable. That was it. He didn't want them to know.

He was right.

That was better.

Yes, yes. That was the right plan. She should have thought of that.

But she struggled to keep her eyes down and away from him. She was terrified of how they might have hurt him and wanted to examine him for wounds.

She made herself do it though. The last thing she needed was Jared making a special example of Gar because he'd realized that it would hurt her.

So instead, she closed her eyes and gave in to the pain of having him so close and not being able to touch. Of knowing he was hurt and afraid and not being able to comfort him.

She let herself weep, let herself look weak and lonely and pathetic. And prayed that it would convince Jared that she was no longer a threat.

It wasn't until she was starting to calm and she opened her eyes that she realized the sky was growing light. The sun was rising, the glowing sphere peering over the mountain peak.

Had Reth and Elia made it through the human attack?

Was there any hope left?

Then she cried for real because it had all gone wrong. So wrong.

They'd failed.

She'd failed.

*****

GAR

One glance at Rika, seeing the wounds to her face and how swollen she was, the tear tracks down her cheeks… he had to look away. If he'd looked on her for one more second, he would have turned and bitten out the throats of these males with his human teeth.

Whatever they'd done to him was wearing off. He could move again—a huge relief when he realized the paralysis wasn't permanent. But he still couldn't shift.

When the men kicked his legs out from under him and dumped him, bound and injured, in the dirt, he snarled but didn't fight. He let his shocked body continue to shiver and just lay on his side with a groan, as if he was injured and it was hurting him.

But when the humans began to turn their attention to others, he let himself scan the circle in small glances.

There was a handful of guards there, but only a couple of the Protectors.

And Rika. Thank the Creator. She was still alive.

Then he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply and had to fight a smile.

There were more Anima nearby. Protectors. He could smell them. Still close. And at least some of them were alive. He prayed earnestly that the Creator hid them from the human eyes, that they remained alive and free.

Vehicles had been rolled, nose to tail, in a circle to make this cage of sorts—an area that it wasn't easy to leave without being seen.

Humans stood in the backs of trucks at three points around the circles, each holding a large gun, and more outside the circle.

If he got up and tried to fight, he'd be done. They'd just shoot him.

Rika sat almost halfway across the circle, not looking at him, which was wise. He kept finding his eyes drifting to her though.

Eventually, he tried to push up to a sitting position, but his hands were bound behind his back, and his ankles had been hobbled as well.

Then a male who was clearly an Alpha based on the way he carried himself, climbed over one of the trucks and into the circle, stalking straight for Gar.

And he stank of the voices.Â

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