Mari's Mistake (Icehome, #10)

by Ruby Dixon

Horrified, I watch as T’chai struggles to get up, and the thing lands on his back. Huge, black claws dig into his skin, and then bright crimson blood streaks across his camouflage. He groans, twisting, trying to get out from under the feet that have him pinned. It just makes it worse, though. As another scream rips from my throat, I watch as the thing flips T’chai over onto his belly and tears him open. All the while, I stand there, screaming like a helpless idiot. “Shoo!” Lauren’s suddenly at my side, and she flings a handful of sand at the creature tearing my mate apart. Right. I can do more than just scream. I have to. I can’t just watch it destroy T’chai. I grab a handful of sand, too, and fling it as hard as I can. “Go away!” I choke. The thing turns away from my mate that it’s shredding and hisses at us, snapping its awful jaws. I grab another sandy handful, sobbing, and Lauren grabs me and hauls me backward. “Run, Mari! To the trees!” I try to ignore her pulling at me, because I need to help T’chai. I can’t leave him there. There’s so much blood, and he’s not moving. He doesn’t even get up when K’thar and R’jaal both jump onto the creature and it staggers a few feet away. “We’ll be safe there,” Lauren cries, yanking on my arm as she points at the trees behind us. Is she fucking crazy? “I’m not leaving T’chai!” I surge forward even as K’thar stabs the monster-bird in the eye with one of his knives. It looks busy, and that means I can get to my mate.