Page 98 of Owned By the Hvrok

She could see it now, descending fast through the cloud cover, rectangular and brutal-looking, all hard edges and armor. A different kind of beast compared to Kyhin’s sleek vessel.

Hope surged in her chest, mingling with dread.

Hold them off, Kyhin. Just a little longer.

Please.

All of a sudden, the rescue ship opened fire.

Explosions ripped through the snowfield, columns of flame and debris erupting like geysers. The ground shook with the force of it, and the sky flashed with red and orange bursts.

The silver army scattered like ants.

Kyhin veered hard, dodging the blast radius, soaring away from the bombardment, drawing the last of the firepower with him.

And then… he turned.

With impossible speed, he angled back toward the ship.

Toward her.

Her heart leapt as he descended, wings folding in as he dropped through the smoke, disappearing from view.

He was coming back.

CHAPTER 45

Kyhin burst into the cabin with breathtaking swiftness, urgency radiating from every movement. Before she could speak, he swept her into his arms, wrapping her tightly in the furs. There was no chance to argue, no point in resisting. She understood.

He was getting her off this planet.

She clung to him, pressing her face against the warm metal of his armor as he carried her toward the exit. The air was frigid outside, the snow tinged pink by the otherworldly light of the red sun, the battlefield blackened and charred where the rescue ship’s fire had torn craters through the earth.

At the hatch, he paused.

Held her close.

Then, he murmured something in that gravel-deep voice, words low and unintelligible through his helm—but the sound soothed her like a lullaby, filled with something fierce and unshakable. A promise.

It was terrifying in its surety.

And it was the most reassuring sound she’d ever heard.

Suddenly, he flared his wings and leapt.

They rose into the air with shocking speed. She stifled a scream, her breath snatched away by the sudden rush of wind, but his arms were like iron around her. There was no falling.

Only flight.

Heart in her mouth, she dared to look down.

The world spread beneath them: snow-covered plains, jagged mountains in the distance, rivers like silver ribbons glinting under the fading sun. The battlefield below still smoked, bodies strewn in the snow.

It was strange.

Surreal, like a dream.

Beautiful, in the most terrifying way.

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