Chapter 22 · Feral Bloodline

"Don't touch her, Ronin!" I drove my blade into the metal floor between his boots.

He stopped with one hand around his sister's throat.

Not gently. Not even close.

Sera's claws scraped over his forearm, carving four red lines through his sleeve. Her jaw hung open, teeth stained black with whatever Kyle had pumped into her veins. She barely looked human now. Her pupils had swallowed the blue in her eyes, leaving two burning red points fixed on Ronin's face.

"Move the knife," Ronin growled.

"Let her go."

His fingers tightened.

Sera's heels kicked against the grated platform. A wet choking sound came out of her throat.

"Vira," Kyle snapped from behind the glass console. "That isn't your call."

I looked at him. "You put her in that tank. You don't get a call."

"I put a leash on a feral subject before she tore through half my medical staff."

"She's his sister."

"She's a biohazard wearing his sister's face."

Ronin's head turned a fraction toward Kyle. His expression went flat, and that was worse than the rage. The commander had been bleeding from his shoulder for nearly a minute.