Chapter 207
Marvin and Aaron stayed on either side of Sharon, taking out anything that tried to sneak up on her.
She had managed to slow down the Velvyn’s advance–for now–but something about her didn’t sit right.
Her expression was blank, her movements mechanical. It was clear to everyone–something was
off.
From the forest beyond the swamp, a squad of men in black uniforms suddenly burst through the trees, weapons drawn.
Nicholas led the charge, and the moment he laid eyes on his fiancée–Sharon, dirt–streaked and soaked in green monster blood, surrounded by creatures -his icy gaze sharpened.
“Target located,” he barked. “Split into three units. Move in for extraction.”
Nicholas ran ahead of the others. Every Velvyn that lunged at him got kicked into the air like it weighed nothing
He cleared a path straight to Sharon and jumped in front of her, swiftly cutting down every Velvyn in her immediate range.
But Sharon didn’t stop.
She turned, scanning for more targets. Her eyes were wild, her thoughts filled with nothing but violence and blood.
“That’s enough. You’re safe now,” Nicholas said firmly, grabbing her by the wrist. “Sharon, calm down. The rescue team’s here.”
“Get out of my way,” she snapped, eyes cold, voice low and deadly.
Marvin jumped in, trying to reach her, “Shari, it’s over. We’re okay now. Just rest, please.”
“I said move!”
She shoved past them, eyes blank, voice sharp with agitation.
Nicholas gripped her wrist tighter. “Not this time. I’m not letting go.”
“Get off me!”
Sharon lunged at him. He didn’t fight back, just stepped back enough to avoid a direct hit, and then pulled her into his arms.
His voice was steady as he held her still. “Look around you, Sharon. It’s over. You’re safe.”
‘Come back to me.‘
Sharon’s brows pinched. “I told you to let me go!”
She thrashed in his grip, feral, eyes blazing like a cornered animal.
Her nails raked across Nicholas‘ neck, leaving behind faint, bloody scratches. The green Velvyn blood smeared across her skin transferred to him instantly.
After a full minute of struggling, Sharon finally realized she couldn’t break free. Her fight started to drain away.
She blinked, looked around–and only then noticed the new arrivals, the team, the reinforcements. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “You finally made it.”
“Sorry we were late,” Nicholas said, guilt flickering in his eyes. “There’s magnetic interference out here. The chopper couldn’t land. We had to come on
foot.”
“You’re here. That’s what matters.”
Chapter 207
She turned, scanning for her brothers. Her eyes landed on Richard first and then quickly counted the others. All eight were accounted for.
She exhaled. Thank God. They’re okay.‘
“Hey, Nicholas, you planning to let go anytime soon?” Marvin asked after watching silently for a while. “She’s fine now. You can stop clinging
Sharon finally realized how tightly she was pressed against Nicholas.
He let her go, stepping back without a word.
She glanced down. His uniform was completely stained in monster blood–most of it from her. Looking at her own hands, she saw they were completely dyed green. Her dress… there wasn’t even a trace of its original color left.
For a moment, she stood there, stunned. ‘What did I just do?‘
The last thing she remembered was seeing Richard get hurt–and then everything had gone white–hot in her head. All she could think about was killing Killing every last one of those monsters until her brothers were safe.
A handkerchief appeared in her line of sight.
She looked up. It was Nicholas. “I’m fine. It won’t come off anyway,” she muttered.
“You will be fine,” he said softly.
He bent down and gently wiped her face. His expression was calm, but there was a quiet intensity in his eyes–focused entirely on her.
Sharon had been moments away from slipping into despair.
But when she looked up into his eyes, something in her finally settled.
Around them, the Velvyn had been completely wiped out.
Brent and Margaret arrived just in time to catch the last moments of the scene–A tall man in black uniform, crouched over a girl covered in blood and mud, tenderly wiping her face.
She looked up at him like nothing else existed. It was a private moment.
The kind of silence that wraps around two people when no one else matters. A kind of connection no one could step into.
Margaret stared for a second longer… and then forced herself to look away.
A
