y, the mud suck

ds wrapping around her waist, and pulled her hard against his ch

ora's ribs ache. She pushed agains

ave been triggered. Threat level to host decrea

ddenly, the low, guttural sounds rumbling in

was a rough, gravelly rasp agai

gainst her sternum. She opened her mouth to argue, to tell

stood up, hauling her over his br

oulder muscle. She grabbed fistfuls of his

His strides were lon

e focused on the translucent blue screen of DAISY, scanning the bizarre

canopy above m

single, jagged horn leaped from the branch

d wrapping around the hilt of a bone knife strapped to his thi

to the beast's skull, pinni

de free, wiped the blood on hi

y. This world was a meat grinder, and the ma

se jungle gave way t

l hide tents came into view. Two towering men, holding

g Cora, they immediately drop

d onto Cora. The submission vanished, repl

ting growl ripped from his throat. The guards ins

into the hear

l dead silent. Hundreds

ked frame. Their lips curled in revulsion. They whispered to each o

eyes were hungry, stripping her down, ass

ra shrank back, her fingers digging tighter into the man'

lt he

ter of the square. Hi

d down on the entire square. The air grew thin.

hests. Several of the weaker men dropped t

itual power to crush

ard. He looked at the man, his voice shaking but stern. "Jagger. Why do you

That was

e old shaman, his voice carrying acros

seless. She i

asp rippled th

to tell them it was a misunderstanding, but Jagger's massive ha

the angry stares, carrying her strai