Page 25 of Charged By the Razorbacks

Tamsin was already there, dropping to her knees beside them, her hands moving automatically, checking, assessing.

“Naomi,” she murmured, her voice softer than she intended, the shift in it unavoidable and unwelcome. “Hey. Stay with me.”

Naomi stirred faintly, barely conscious but responsive.

Relief cut through her, sharp and brief.

“She’s been dosed,” Tamsin said, her tone tightening again as she forced control back into place. “Not full exposure. They’re pacing it.” Her gaze flicked to him, then to Jarek. “We need to move.”

No one argued.

Jarek lifted Naomi carefully, adjusting his hold without slowing, while Aleksy shifted position to cover them.

Tamsin pushed to her feet—and the trap snapped shut. The doors slammed behind them with a heavy, final sound, sealing them in.

Movement flooded the space immediately. More hybrids. Faster. Stronger.

Tamsin exhaled once, steadying herself. “Well, we knew this wasn’t going to be easy.”

Aleksy stepped forward. “Stay behind me.”

She snorted, already moving. “Not happening.”

And it wasn’t.

They moved together without needing to coordinate it, falling into a rhythm that shouldn’t have existed yet but did anyway. Jarek held Lena, adjusting his stance to protect her while still engaging when he needed to. Aleksy took the front, precise and controlled, cutting threats down before they could fully form.

Tamsin filled everything else.

Every gap. Every shift. Every opening.

She moved where they didn’t, struck where they couldn’t, adjusted to their rhythm like she’d been fighting beside them for years.

The fight tightened around them, closing in, every movement demanding accuracy.

Her shoulder burned. Her muscles protested. She ignored it all. Until one of them broke through.

Fast. Too fast. Moving straight at her. Aleksy moved, but he was a step too far. Jarek shifted, but he couldn’t reach her in time.

Tamsin didn’t hesitate. She stepped into the attack instead of away from it, her blade driving forward in one clean, decisive strike. The hybrid dropped at her feet.

Silence hit, sharp and immediate.

Her breathing came faster now, the adrenaline still burning through her system as she lifted her gaze—and met Aleksy’s.

Up close—closer than she’d allowed before—he was sharper. More defined. Controlled down to the smallest detail, but there was something under it now, something breaking through the surface.

Something that matched the way her pulse refused to settle.

Behind him, Jarek shifted, still holding Naomi, his gaze locked on her now, darker, rougher, like the fight hadn’t taken anything out of him—just stripped him down to something more honest.

Something more dangerous.

And for one second—one stupid, reckless second—Tamsin thought—this is a terrible idea.

Then Aleksy moved.

Closed the distance in two strides, his hand coming up to her jaw, grounding, steady, pulling her into him—and then he kissed her.