Free Warlord Reunited: 3 (Barbarian Claims) by Cynthia Sax Page B

gaze on his soon-to-be-dead enemy. Blood pooled around the clone’s big black boots, an injury he could exploit.
    “You vowed to let her go,” Berke added louder. “She’s a frail human female and not part of this war.”
    Ellie stiffened, her shoulders straightening, and Berke braced, cursing his mate’s pride. For once in your rebellious life, gerel , follow someone else’s lead.
    As though hearing his silent plea, she suddenly sagged against the Chamele clone, her form disturbingly limp and lifeless. “Berke is right.” Her voice was pitifully weak. “I should have stayed on Dorian 2. I was safe there.”
    She wasn’t safe on Dorian 2. Berke met Ellie’s gaze, her face shielded from Tolui’s watchful gaze by her thick brown curls. She fought off an attacker. She flashed him a lightening-quick grin, the same grin she always wore before she implemented one of her crazy plans.
    Son of a Gechii . He swallowed a groan. She’ll be the death of me.
    “Are you breaking your vow, Tolui?” Berke taunted, drawing the clone’s attention away from Ellie. “I’m unarmed yet you continue to cower behind a tiny female.” He curled his top lip, openly revealing his disgust, and Tolui’s eyes blazed with anger. “Let her go and fight me like a warrior.” Berke contracted his muscles, preparing to act. “Or are clones incapable of honor?”
    “Only fools risk victory for honor.” Tolui aimed his gun toward Berke. “There is no need to prove my hon—”
    Ellie drove her elbows into the clone’s stomach and Tolui folded over, gasping. Berke sprang forward, bellowing with rage, extending his claws. A shot rang out, the impact flinging Ellie back, her ass skidding along the floor, and Tolui’s gun dropped to the wire mesh.
    “Ellie!” Berke skewered Tolui on his claws and threw him down the hallway. The clone connected with the wall, bones crunched and his form stilled.
    “Ellie.” Berke rushed to his gerel ’s side, his heart pounding. “Ellie.” He fell to his knees in front of her and sharp shards of pain jabbed up his thighs. “My Ellie.” He brushed back her long, brown curls, revealing her pale face.
    “Did we get him?” She wheezed, holding her stomach.
    “Did he get you?” He pried her fingers away from her body and probed the long, deep horizontal tear in her body armor, finding no bullet and no blood. “The bullet skimmed your stomach.” Berke released his breath. “Are you hurt?” He grazed the red marks around her neck.
    “He didn’t hurt me very much, surprisingly. My skin didn’t blister. My tolerance to strange males must be increasing.” Ellie gave him a feeble smile. “Where?” She coughed. “Where is Tolui?”
    Berke turned his head. The corridor was empty. “He’s gone.” He frowned, shifting closer to Ellie, protecting his gerel being his highest, his only priority.
    Ellie clutched his right arm, digging her short, blunt nails into his skin, and she struggled to her feet. “We have to capture him, stop him.” She swayed.
    Berke swung her into his arms, her weight slight. “ We are not doing anything, foolish female.” He carried her toward their sleeping chambers, planning to lock her in before hunting Tolui down.
    “Tolui didn’t pass us. He must have run in the other direction.” She reached over his shoulder, stretching her hand toward the vacant corridor. “He’ll access my bridge and—”
    “Escape pod two released,” the ship informed them.
    “Ship,” Berke barked, needing confirmation. “How many beings occupied escape pod two?”
    “One clone occupied escape pod two.”
    “Tolui,” Berke and Ellie said in unison. She pressed her palms against his chest, her skin warm and calloused, the hands of a warrior female. “The escape pods move slowly. If we run to the bridge, we might be able to shoot him out of space.”
    Berke suppressed the thrill of the chase, focusing on what was most important to him—Ellie. “My warriors have instructions to