Page 64 of Primal Hunger

It’s got her.

We should have killed the creature before it had a chance to rise. Why hadn’t I thought to make sure it was dead?

I roar, the sound burning my throat as I struggle toward the door. Erin is screaming from somewhere outside. The more primal part of me rises and takes hold, controlling mymovements. There is no time left for rational thought. Not when she’s in danger.

Something else has taken my possession, has taken what’smine.

A branch snaps somewhere to my left, and the Ech’s tail wraps around my wrist. In the blink of an eye, it hurls me forward.

I lose my balance and crash against the ground, pain and horror mingling inside of me at Erin’s cries for help.

The creature shrieks before its tail wraps around my neck and drags me backward. My claws are helpless to stop the movement, digging furrows in the ground, and suddenly the creature is on my back. Crashing into me and forcing me down, buckled beneath its weight.

Its claws rip across the wounds I already have and spray my blood.

Before it has a chance to score my throat, I turn on my side and ram my horns into its side.

Erin. Everything I do is for her.

The creature retreats, and I scan the forest for my tiny human.

There. I finally see her huddled against the side of a tree with her arms wrapped around her torso and blood dripping from her arm and shoulder.

This creature came into my territory and hurt Erin.

I might have been able to let it leave if it hadn’t attacked her, but now this is personal.

Its scaly skin makes it impervious to most attacks. This time, it won’t matter. I’m going to make sure when it goes down, it never recovers.

Pure rage fills me with fire, and when the underbrush shifts near me again, I rear up, swing my skull to the side and piercingthe Ech on my horn. For half a heartbeat, it fails to react, and then its screech of fury and pain constricts my heart.

I shake him free, the Ech thuds to the ground. Rather than giving it a chance to move, I launch myself toward the impression in the grass, slamming the creature down onto the forest floor.

It roars in anguish, and I slam my shoulder down against it to keep it pinned. Sharp teeth gnash out and the Ech heaves upward like it’s going to shake me off.

I tuck my body in tight, rage adding strength to my attacks. The creature’s hot breath ruffles the hair along my neck and shoulders and I drive it down, the air rushing out of its lungs.

“Syros.”

Erin’s cry is almost too soft to hear above the roar of the creature and makes it hard for me to finish this when I want to go to her. To make sure she is okay.

My pulse thunders in my ears, adrenaline like lightning inside of me.

The creature thrashes underneath me but I bear down, keeping my footing and wrapping my hands around its skull. My claws dig deep through the scaly skin, piercing beneath it, and a single twist snaps its neck.

I grit my teeth. Lost to the sensation, the world narrows, constricts, and I keep wrenching the skull to the side even as the body goes lax beneath me.

Finally, I pull the head free and feel the torso drop beneath me.

This fucking monster. It got what it deserved.

“Syros? Are you all right?”

Erin’s voice draws me out of my head, and the bloodlust slips away moment by moment, leaving only a cold and horrible reality behind. I slowly lift myself up and away from the dead Ech, turning until I find her again in the trees.

She’s curled in on herself and hasn’t attempted to move. I draw in a deep breath and her scent is full of the rank stench of sweat and fear.

I approach her slowly, holding out my arms, but she only cowers and turns herself into a small ball.

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