Chapter 20 · Chrome Vein

"Get your hands off me, Kade!"

Rook’s voice cracked, but she still managed to shove her forearm against my chest. We were pinned in the narrow gap between a rusted coolant tank and a collapsed bulkhead. The air tasted like ozone and burnt rubber. Behind us, the Hounds were closing in—six of them, all overclocked on combat stims and illegal reflex boosters.

"Shut up and hold still," I spat, my voice sounding like two grinding gears.

I didn't have time to be gentle. I didn't even have time to breathe. My left arm was already twitching, the skin rippling as the GENE-EATER chip beneath my shoulder blade screamed for more. It wasn't just hungry anymore; it was starving. Every time it pulsed, I felt a hot, oily sensation sliding down my spine, demanding I feed it something—anything—with a high enough chrome density to satisfy the glitch.

"You're shaking," Rook whispered. She didn't pull away this time. Her hand slid from my chest to the collar of my jacket, her fingers grazing the heated skin of my neck. Her touch was cold, but where she touched, the screaming in my head dimmed. Just a fraction. "You can't take another hit, Kade.