For a moment, nothing happened. Then the female let out a low, resonant hum. The sound was deep and mournful, a command, a plea, a warning all in one. The males froze mid-motion. Their eyes darted between her and Nova.
But one, the scarred leader, refused to yield. It snarled, blood dripping from its foreleg, and launched itself at Nova again, fury unrestrained. Nova barely had time to raise his baton before the creature slammed into him, claws tearing through his jacket.
Pain seared across his side, the dampener overloading with a pop of burned circuitry. He was thrown backward into a tree, gasping for air. Lunaris leaped onto the GrimeFlayer's back, claws and teeth flashing, raking against the creature's neck. It screeched, twisting violently, trying to shake the cat loose.
