Page 44 of Savage Bond

Ava stiffens beside me; I can feel the tension radiate from her body. Something personal lingers in her expression—guarded, cautious.

My heart sinks further as I assess our situation. The mercenaries continue their relentless advance, but now they’re not alone. The IHC’s presence complicates everything, igniting a sense of urgency that claws at me.

“Damn it,” Ava curses under her breath, and I don’t need to ask what she’s thinking. She knows what the IHC does with things it doesn’t understand: they cage it. Or destroy it.

We fight back against the oncoming tide together for just a moment longer—our movements still synchronized—but then a surge of mercenaries separates us. I catch a glimpse of her fierce determination before she vanishes into the fray.

I curse under my breath as I carve through another attacker. The chamber feels too large now, too chaotic without her beside me.

“Keep moving!” I shout over my shoulder, though I can’t see her anymore. “Don’t stop!”

She won’t stop—not Ava Marlowe. Not when there’s something to fight for.

Ava’s voice carries through the chaos again—a fierce battle cry as she fights her way back toward me. The heat in my chest ignites anew; we have to get to that artifact before Vale can claim it for himself or worse—before he turns Ava over to be caged or destroyed like so many others before her.

Then comes the final blow: A third group breaches from the rear tunnels.

The air thickens, crackling with tension. I catch the glint of a familiar figure—Renn Dravik—his grin cutting through the chaos like a knife.

My crew. The sight churns my stomach.

“I knew you’d sniff out something good, old friend,” he calls, his voice oozing with smug confidence.

I grit my teeth. My second-in-command now wears the guise of a self-appointed captain, but he’s always been driven by greed and ambition.

Three factions converge in this room, each with their own agenda. My crew’s arrival complicates everything—and it pulls Ava deeper into the chaos.

The artifact pulses violently, responding to the emotional storm around it. The energy in the room shifts, amplifying as cracks spiderweb through the surrounding pylons. A shriek echoes in my ears; it feels like the ruin itself is crying out against the impending violence.

Ava stands resolute beside me, her breathing steady even as I can feel her panic lurking beneath that calm exterior. She trusts me. Relies on me to protect her from all of this. But how can I do that when everything is falling apart?

I glance between the artifact and Ava, caught between two worlds—the past I can’t escape and this fragile alliance we’ve built in this hellish jungle.

Renn gestures wildly at his men as they flood into the chamber, weapons drawn and intent clear. They’ll take what they want without hesitation—leaving nothing but bloodshed in their wake if they have to.

“No more time,” I think sharply as I assess our surroundings—the chaos converging around us while the artifact screams for attention.

We need to act before everything collapses under its own weight.

I look at Ava again; she meets my gaze head-on, that fierce spirit igniting something deep within me—a spark that refuses to dim even amid destruction.

CHAPTER 28

AVA

The ruin is a blur of chaos—blaster fire cutting through the air, shouting in multiple languages, the hum of the artifact rising to a near-piercing shriek. My heart pounds against my ribcage as I duck behind a column, breath ragged and shallow. The world spins around me, and for a moment, I feel lost.

I glance at the IHC insignias flashing past me on armor I used to dream of wearing. I want to shout at them, to demand they help me regain my place in their ranks. But now, here among these officers, I'm just Ava Marlowe—nothing more than an outcast.

“Lieutenant Marlowe?” A voice cuts through my haze. I turn to see a young officer eyeing me closely.

I almost correct him. I’m not a lieutenant—not officially. Not anymore.

He holds out a pulse grenade. My instincts scream to take it, but hesitation lingers like smoke in the air.

I finally grasp it with shaking fingers, nodding stiffly as adrenaline floods my system.

“Stay low,” he says before diving back into the fray with his partner.

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