Chapter 16

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"MOVE!" Pyla snarled at Lo.

Lo didn't hesitate. She darted out of the way and shoved against the wall just as the males entered the cavern.

All four females threw the daggers with frightening accuracy. All but one buried deeply into a male chest. The last managed to dodge at the last second.

But by the intense snarl of pain he made as it buried into his shoulder, Lo realized with wide eyes the daggers contained silver. It burned them, horribly.

Pyla didn't wait to let him recover. She darted forward and yanked her blade from one of the other males to jump on him and repeatedly stab him with a fury she had never seen in any living being.

Lo stood there, shocked.

Lane's whimper finally tore Lo's attention back to them. They were huddled against the wall now.

"Go." Pyla said to her own as she cast one last hateful glance back at the Varga females. None of them hesitated, they put the dagger in their teeth and shifted.

They were all gone a second later.

Lo stood there, the shock had not worn off. She took a shaky breath and glanced back at the Varga females. Their eyes were going between Eleanor lying dead near the fire, then to the four Varga males dead behind her. All had gone pale.

"... come on." Lo said as she realized this was her chance. Their chance. She was shaking now, in fear, excitement or hope she couldn't tell.

Maybe a bit of all three.

"We... we have to go!" Lo said more firmly as she looked at Lane, then to Alice. None of them moved. Lo took another shaky breath as she glanced to the cavern. She could hear commotion. Lots of it.

... did the desert males come for them?

"It's likely the only chance you'll get! We have to go!" Lo growled.

"Where?" The female she didn't know the name of asked. Lo's eyes flicked to hers and she hesitated... She realized she didn't have an answer for them.

But wasn't anywhere better than here?!

She looked frantically at each of their eyes. Not one of them looked willing. They all had steely expressions. Lo looked at Alice.

"You... your daughter. You can't-" Lo began.

"My gifted mate is a Varga scout. I cannot leave." Alice said firmly. Lo stared at her as a sickening feeling crept into her gut.

"You would choose to raise your daughter here... with these males?" Lo asked in shock as she looked at Lane, but the girl immediately looked away.

Lo felt her heart pounding as she glanced back at the exit.

She realized this was a battle she wouldn't win. Not in the time she had.

Lo had to go... she couldn't keep arguing. Lo cast one last look at the young female, and though she felt it was wrong... she knew there was nothing she could do.

Lo shifted straight through her clothes and darted down the passage. She leapt over another Varga male's body and finally reached the forest. The cold air slapped hard, but she didn't stop. She ran straight into the trees.

She could hear frantic motion coming from all different directions. But she couldn't tell who was who. If they had allies there, Lo didn't scent or hear them. It was all Varga and the running desert females.

And she smelled blood. Not all of it was male.

Lo didn't know where any of them were. The rustling noise was everywhere and she couldn't concentrate. She just chose a direction and ran as hard and fast as she could, even as her body protested.

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