Page 126 of Citrine

It's been too much guessing since I woke up on those rocks.

A snoring sound makes us all look over to the big mound of fur near Amethyst. He must be exhausted to be sleeping so early.

Ree's face turns softer. "He's the first one I haven't sent out to do my dirty work. It feels good."

Her eyes are haunted and Kira shifts from her perch enough to sling an arm around her. "You are doing the best you can, Commander."

Ree pokes her in the ribs and then hisses and rubs at her finger. Kira sticks her tongue out at her, the odd yellow and silver swirling of her eyes still managing to show how cheeky she is.

Ree laughs and returns her embrace.

Then they both start purring and I about lose my mind.

"Do not freaking tell me you both… I… got… you… Arg!"

I really could strangle whoever was in charge of doling out this metamorphosis with my hair tentacles until the breath leaves their stupid body, but the snicker I get from Ree, and the fact that it clears the guilt off her face, is worth it.

Completely fucking unfair still, but worth it.

Soon after, the males return, but instead of everyone resting in the last hours of the evening, Kira suggests a different plan.

"Remember that genali camp we planned on raiding?" she asks Drasuk as she leans up against him and strokes the small spikes on his side.

"I do, yes."

She gets back her unhinged grin. "How about we make Wroahk a happy… uh, whatever he is?

"Happy shark man?" Ree quips.

55

Wroahk

The only thing lowering my excitement as we wait lurking under the water is that Eli refused to stay behind. I considered the different ways I could stash her somewhere else as we made our way down the lakeshore, ensuring that we were far enough away from the stretch of water that lead to the island to not attract other hunters, but nowhere is safe right now.

The purple coward is terrible protection and everyone else is out driving the enemy to us.

I'll just have to keep her behind me.

There's no chance to come up with a better plan before I see them, gray flesh jiggling, terror in their eyes as they realize they are trapped against the shore. I fight the urge to surge up out of the water, reminding myself to follow through with the plan.

So, I wait. Keeping myself still and Eli positioned under me so her bright colors don't attract their gaze, thankful my greens andblues are just as well-suited to blending in to this water as my salt water home.

For once, there is no pang of feeling in my chest as I think of it. Instead, I use one of my tentacles to touch Eli's face, a reminder of what is most important.

And then I see it, their relief. They think they are safe now. My mouth opens as I mimic the look Kira had on her face. She is more like the females of my species than Eli, though none of them would have delivered such a prize to me on the same day I asked for adeal.

The females of my kind have no concept ofdealsor how good they can make you feel.

I push the thought aside, and enjoy the moment mycommunityhas given me, tentacles pushing hard against the boulders I waited on to make us fly out of the water. I shift Eli as we move through the air, pulling her body tight behind mine so none of thesegunsthey spoke of can hurt her.

There is a whole school of the enemy, all of them screaming out gurgling cries of terror, two of which are instantly cut short as I punch a tentacle through their disgusting bodies.

I keep one tentacle around Eli, and one free to kill each one in my hold, but then use all the remaining ones to snatch up the enemy—the genali—by one of their short, useless limbs. Blood paints the nearby rocks and plants as I pull them apart, dash them against rocks, rip heads and limbs off, all the while roaring out my most intimidating song.

Their screams are just as sweet as I imagined.

Soon, Eli joins her smaller voice to mine, raising it like a torrent of sound as her bright tentacles reach around me, grabbing genali for me to rip apart.

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