Page 23 of Red Zone Awakened

His shoulder vibrated.He was losing control of his animal.

No!he shouted at it.Not now!

There was a beat of silence before a quiet reply sounded in his mind:Hungry.

Mace felt a popping sensation in his shoulder, followed by a shudder throughout his system.

No!he silently roared again.

But it was too late.

His other half, the genetic mutation he shared his body with—and the world couldn’t know about—was free.

It all happened at once.The high-pitched screech of a newly free animal rent the air.Wings fluttered in front of his face before his other half swooped around them before heading straight to Keiko.

The beast brushed against Keiko’s hair and face.Fluttering with joy as it investigated her.Her body tensed.Her muscles spasmed.She sucked in a breath and let out a scream.“Bat!Bat!”

As her hands flew up to knock the stupid creature away from her, all reason fled.Torn from her by the terror of the bat flying into her face.It was the final straw.She jerked backward as time slowed, and all Mace could do was watch the freeze-frame horror as Keiko lost her footing.Her arms flew out.Her mouth opened, and she let out an ear-piercing scream.Mace lunged for her, his arm already halfway around her.But he wasn’t fast enough.

She slipped through his grasp.

And fell.