Page 19 of Kazmyr: Molten for Her
She pulled back just enough to glare up at me, that stubborn fire flashing in her eyes. "We've been through this. The plan works because of me, because I'm unbonded. Don't start this argument again."
"It's not an argument." I swallowed the roar building in my chest, the urge to simply carry her away from this danger. "It's a concern."
"It's control," she corrected, but there was less heat in her words than before. "I'm pushing myself because I need to. I'd rather burn with purpose than live as someone else's prey."
The truth in her words stung. She saw the heart of it… why she needed to be the one to take this risk, why running would never be enough. The Voraxx, Asset P, the entire trafficking network… they had turned her into quarry. This was her way of becoming the hunter instead.
Maya moved past us toward the sensor array, her hand brushing my arm as she passed. "Remember what you promised," she said quietly, her scientist's eyes measuring the reaction between Jenna and me with careful precision. "Always chosen, never coerced."
I nodded stiffly, the words a reminder of the vow I'd made not just to Jenna but to myself. My culture had taught me protection meant control, that a warrior shielded his mate through strength and will. Earth humans understood protection differently… as support, as respect for choice, even when that choice led toward danger.
"Enhancer at eighty percent," Silvyr announced, his projection expanding throughout the chamber, fracturing into multiple instances that monitored different systems simultaneously. "The resonance is starting to affect ship systems. Nothing critical yet, but expect fluctuations."
As if on cue, the lights dimmed, then flared brightly before stabilizing. The consoles beneath my hands sputtered, readouts flickering between languages as the Heartforge struggled to maintain cohesion against the enhancer's disruptive field.
Silvyr's voice rerouted through the communication relay, his deep tones distorted by static. "Reality's systems are experiencing interference. We are compensating, but the effect is stronger than anticipated."
Jenna's grip on my arm tightened, her nails digging into my flesh. I looked down to find her face drawn, eyes wide but determined.
"What does that mean?" she demanded, her voice steady despite the tremor that had overtaken her body.
Silvyr's projection moved closer, code-streams rippling with what might have been concern. "It means you're broadcasting at full power already. Your genetic signature is practically screaming across the void."
A new alarm sounded, sharp and insistent. Maya spun toward the long-range scanners, her practiced calm slipping for just a moment.
"Multiple signatures dropping from warp," she announced. "Voraxx configuration, hunter-class vessels. Six—no, eight ships."
"They're early," Vylit's voice filled the room as he took over the screens. "The convoy isn't due for another four hours."
Silvyr's projection split into multiple instances, each monitoring a different aspect of the approaching threat. "They weren't waiting for the convoy," he concluded, streams of data flowing through his translucent form. "They were already hunting in this sector."
The tactical display lit up with hostile markers, eight Voraxx ships arranging themselves in a familiar pattern. The same accelerant spread that Jenna had identified during our first encounter. My ember marks flared hot with recognition.
"They're boxing us in," I growled, feeling the heat phase building at the base of my skull. "Preparing to herd us toward the asteroid belt at sector seven."
Jenna's body suddenly went rigid against mine, a small cry escaping her lips as the enhancer pulsed stronger. The filament beneath her skin glowed visible now, a network of light spreading from her throat down her chest like luminous veins.
"Jenna!" I caught her as her knees buckled, sweeping her into my arms without thinking.
"I'm okay," she gasped, though clearly she wasn't. "Just... stronger than expected."
The moss hammock on the far side of the chamber pulsed invitingly, sensing her distress. I carried her toward it, ignoring Maya's concerned look and Silvyr's rapid analysis of the enhancer's unexpected behavior.
"The hammock will help ground you," I explained, lowering her onto the living weave. The moss immediately responded, tendrils curling around her limbs with gentle pressure, anchoring her against the enhancer's disruptive resonance.
Jenna didn't resist as the moss cradled her body, her eyes finding mine with startling clarity despite her pain. "Don't you dare deactivate the enhancer," she warned, reading my intention before I could act on it. "We've got them exactly where we want them."
"They have us surrounded," I pointed out, kneeling beside the hammock, one hand covering hers where it rested on the moss. "The plan was to draw them to us, not to be outnumbered and cornered."
"Plans change." Her mouth curved into that defiant smile I'd come to both admire and fear. "Now we're the irresistible prize they can't ignore."
The tactical display confirmed her assessment. The Voraxx ships had slowed their approach, maintaining distance while tightening their formation. They were cautious, too cautious for simple pirates. Something about our signal had made them hesitate.
"They're scanning us," Vylit announced, his webbed fingers flying across the sensor array. "Deep-spectrum analysis of Jenna's genetic signature."
Silvyr's primary projection expanded, a grimace spreading across his code-streaked features. "They're looking for verification before they commit. Smart. They want to be sure she's truly unbonded before they risk a capture attempt."
"Can they tell?" Jenna's voice came weaker now, the enhancer's toll becoming more evident.
