I knew I had to move fast; like any cornered animal he could bite hard. He struggled against me, but after a few inhalations of my scent he began to b...reathe deep. Then, suddenly, he melted into me. I could feel his body pressed against me, his skin now furry like a man’s instead of a wolf. I held him like that for a while, and it was comforting to both of us. He knew me; he knew the scent that he’d imprinted on over the last few days.Finally he withdrew his face from under my arm and looked up. The entire length of it was engineered as one long conductor, intended to absorb and transfer an extremely specific and rare energy, Shard’s energy, which she was so freely discharging during the conflict.After a few more minutes, the first cylinder had reached capacity. Good. Despite his enhanced bioborg forces, Shard was approaching fast. Gorerath and his weapon had better be ready.“Initiate the sequence!” he said to a team of bioborg engineers at the control station.With an immense thrum. Evidently, the manner of her arrival was enough to dispel any questions about her business in the exclusive building.Nor was a word said by the elevator operator, almost an anachronism in this day and age, as he took her up to the twenty-eighth floor. It took less than a minute to find 28D, this high up there were only four apartments on each floor. She rang the bell, waiting apprehensively for someone to answer the musical chimes.The steely haired gentleman, also in an expensive three piece. Hestophes appeared and ended the argument. "Trilium is now Senior Sergeant Trilium and it's Corporal Noius. Do as you are told! Do it now!"To say the sergeant was a credible threat understated his effect.Two finger-widths passed and two Hostigi officers and the Ruthani joined them behind the wagon barrier as it was still under construction."Sergeant, this is junior Lieutenant Smyla. Please, he'll describe what we need to set up the mortars," the senior Hostigi officer told Trilium."Sir!".