the bottom of the ramshackle apartment building. It groaned open, rev

air was thick with the sharp, chemical stench of in

to fall. A single drop hit the expos

his

ly that this was the highly corrosive acid rain unique to the lower sectors, a byp

ic-fur cloak over her head, shielding her face and n

reet were slammed shut. Only a few dying holo

vy, poisoned body would allow. Her chest heaved, and

h-black dead-end alley, a sharp prickle

ng crunching sound echoed. It was the sound

lenses slowly opened in the dar

Its fur was matted with black, oily blood. Rusted metal plates were crudely we

powerful hind legs coiled, and it launched itself through

icks. Her bloated body was too s

y military boots echoed from the adjacent street, though C

inches from tearing her throat open, a deaf

ding blue arc of electricity, punched d

rity's feet, carried by its own momentum. Thick, black blo

her chest heaving as she gasped for air, her who

ots splashing through the puddles appro

d the acid rain, and on his chest was the silver badge of the High Guard. His features were sharp, wolflike-

rrel was still smoking. His eyes were colder

t her collapsed form. Pure, undisguis

oice a flat, cutting blade, "go die some

one of her forced bond-mates. The cold, ruthless captain of the High Guard sta

't scream. She didn't throw a hysterical t

d her sleeve and calmly wiped the black m

ced her hands flat on the wet wall and

r unnatural silence. A brief flicker of

around the massive, bleeding rat corpse and limped away, heading

ted, silent figure disappear into the fog. He let out a cold

oncrete building. She pressed her thumb to the rusted b