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n~ LHARS ~

nLhars had only seen Yhet truly angry once. But it was a sight he would never forget, and one that had made him wary around the male for a months afterwards.

nIt was early after the females had been taken and there were still a dozen or so unmated females remaining in Thana. The males had become desperate and some—

nespecially the tigers—had started trying to dominate the females into taking mates.

nWhen Yhet, his own grief over the loss of his mate smarting even more after watching other males go through the same separation, had stumbled on a male trying to force a female to accept his display, he’d snapped.

nRight there in the courtyard, Yhet had torn a tiger limb from limb without barely breaking a sweat.

nHis calls and growls and roars during that conflict had been gut-clenching.

nBut this… Lhars had never heard anything like what he heard echoing across the compound now.

nVoices came over loudspeakers positioned on every corner of every building, screaming codes to inform their colleagues that there had been a breach at the gates, and that a “dangerous animal” was now loose and approaching the compound.

nVehicles sped past the building, their tires crunching and engines whining as they were pushed to their limits. But the roar of more vehicles with deeper engines, and boom of guns, came across the loudspeakers as well, whenever one of the Team reported in.

nAnd over it all, Yhet could be heard in the background, screaming in a guttural roar that tore Lhars’ heart in two.

n“…took her from me! You took her—all of them, from all of us! You will pay you bastards! You will pay!”

nA man who’d been listing units engaged, screamed and the connection cut off.

nLhars shuddered, but there were still three females, all shrinking away from him.

nHe wanted to weep. “Please,” he breathed. “That is my friend, and he’s come here to take their attention so they won’t know we’re reaching you,” he said hoarsely.

nThere was a deep boom that vibrated the building, and Yhet roared again.

n“Remove yourself. Surrender. We know you can understand orders, Ancient. Your presence is not required here. We will return you home. Stand down. Stand down!”

nThere was another deep boom and Yhet’s roar turned to a scream of pain that sent a shiver up Lhars’ spine.

nLhars tried to get a grip on himself, beckoning to the females. “Please,” he croaked. “Please. That is my friend, and he’s doing what he can to save you. If they come in here, if they interfere, I have to leave. I don’t want to leave you. Please. PLEASE!”

nOne of the females, sobbing in fear, her body shaking from head to toe, inched forward. Lhars gave her as much room as he could while he made sure she understood how to pass through the Gateway safely, he tried not to hear the deep booms outside, or the screaming voices, but his mind conjured the images of his friend, hair flying, teeth bared, tearing anyone and anything apart as he clawed his way closer and closer to the compound buildings.

nThe final pair of females finally approached, clinging to each other.

n“We’ll go through together,” the taller one said, her teeth chattering.

n“You can’t,” Lhars said. “Even if you enter holding each other, when you step through, you’ll find yourself alone. I’m sorry. You need to stay focused, to remember where you’re going and do everything in your power to reach that safe place. If you do, I promise you, it will be worth it. Please… please honor my friend’s sacrifice. Step in. Please!”

nHe yearned to step out and grab them—they were barely out of his reach—but he knew the gateway would close if he did, and he couldn’t be left here on this side. Not with the army of vehicles and alarms outside.

n“Please!” he repeated lamely.

nCrying, one of the females hugged her companion tightly, then stepped into the gateway, nodding at Lhars’ rushed instructions. He prayed she had caught them all when he was filling in the others, because he wasn’t done when she blinked out of sight in the Gateway.

nThen there was only one.

nLhars rubbed his face with his hands. What else could he say to convince this female who was terrified and kept being distracted by the vibrations and sounds from outside? She’d heard his every argument, his every plea.

nIn the end he just stared at her, wincing against tears as one of the human voices crowed over the loudspeaker that they had the ancient down, though still conscious, The female’s eyes went wide. “He is truly your friend?”

n15:08

nLhars nodded. “And he’s truly giving himself up to save you and the others,” Lhars said. and a team was being dispatched to tranquilize him.

nLhars’ stomach dropped. “Please, don’t let him be captured,” he prayed.

nThe female’s eyes went wide. “He is truly your friend?”

nLhars nodded. “And he’s truly giving himself up to save you and the others,” Lhars said. “If you could… if you could step in here and come with us, you’ll be safe. And no other Chimera will ever have to make this kind of sacrifice again. Please. Please. What’s your name?”

n“Erda,” she said quietly, barely more than a whisper.

n“Erda… please,” he breathed, reaching a hand out, palm up, towards her. “I know this is frightening. But it’s the best decision you’ll ever make. You’ll never be trapped again. We’ll care for you. Teach you. Help you to grow. Please, Erda… come with me.”

nYhet’s roar ripped through the compound, then the loudspeakers crackled as a human cried, “He’s down! He’s down! We have him!”

nLhars grunted and the female sucked in a deep breath and her tears spilled over, trickling down her cheeks. But she laid a trembling hand in his just as the door into the apartment banged open and they both startled.

nThere was a split second where Lhars stood blinking right at a large human male, almost as broad as he was, though not as tall, gaping at him, frozen in shock. The male was dressed all in black and held some kind of strange gun or weapon in his hand.

n“Go! Now!” Lhars screamed, throwing the female into the gateway and diving after her as the human raised the weapon he held.

nLhars tumbled into the rippled floor of the gateway panting, shaking… and utterly alone.

nHe felt the cold on his cheeks before he realized he was crying. Then, as he pushed slowly to his feet, checking himself for injuries and finding none, he wept in truth.

n“Thank you, brother Yhet,” he whispered to no one. “Thank you.”

n*****

nWE’RE ALMOST AT “THE END!” If you want more great shifter fantasies (or something completely different) go to linktr.ee

/authoraimee to find my seven books on WN, and four published elsewhere!

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