Another big boom sounded, the leg I’d attacked shuddered and the creature toppled over. I didn’t wait, sprinting this time and tossing the tooth back in my inventory. My spear shaft, still sticking out of its back, wobbled, drawing my attention. Its tail snapped out again, but not toward me. My fingers wrapped around the spear shaft and as I darted past, and I yanked it out, making the creature whimper.

My father moved forward, raising his gun before firing almost point blank near the Allosaurus’ head and the dinosaur stopped moving. His eyes met mine across the carcass, and the feeling of someone using Insight on me rippled across my skin.

[You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against the level 24 Allosaurus.]

[You have gained a class level.]

[You have gained a class level.]

He frowned, staring at me, and I gave him a nod, remembering the blood from the bite on my arm. Somehow, I kept the shock off my face as I peeked at my stat sheet. Level freaking 24, it didn’t feel real. Just a few days ago I’d been worried about reaching level 25, and now it was within reach. Still, now was not the time to be allocating free stat points. Heck, I’d gotten bitten with a sneak attack during a fight, and didn’t need to be distracted.

I eyed the two dead Allosaurus, and my stomach rumbled. The calories I’d spent during the fight needed to be replaced. I still had the Dimetrodon to field dress inside my inventory.

“Someone check on Jaxon and Jenny!” My father’s voice snapped me out of staring at the carcass, though I didn’t move from my spot. He turned away and headed toward the opening in the fence.

I moved around the larger creature to get into a better position to cut it up before anyone could say otherwise. Everyone frantically raced in different directions, or slumped to the ground to recover. Without a care and with confidence, like I knew what I was doing, I used my glowing crystal knife to start processing the creature. Each cut was more precise than the last, and I made quick work, stacking meat into my inventory. Each piece vanished from sight as I cut it off, increasing my reserves. Blood pooled under the creature and I tried to keep it off my pants as my stomach rumbled again.

Jas appeared next to me with a sled, and I loaded a bunch of meat onto it instead of adding it to my stash. The amount of meat on the carcass was staggering. “You’ve gained some skills while you were gone," he said, watching me work. "You seem pretty decent at that."

“Just a few,” I said with a grin after wiping away the sweat dripping down my face. Yet, from the wet texture, I’d only replaced the sweat with blood. The coppery smell made my mouth water and resisting eating the raw meat I was cutting off the creature was harder than I thought, but I didn’t dare. Not around this many people. Small flying bugs darted around the site, though none landed on me.

“Do you want me to grab a torch?” he asked after a few moments, swatting at a few bugs.

“Na, I got this. Though the sled looks rather full…”

He took the hint and took off, pulling the sled toward the main compound. Some of the bugs followed him, causing me to chuckle.

In the back of my mind, I heard the humming coming from the giant crystal the miners had placed near the gap leading to the valley. Slowly, light from it was filling the area as I worked as fast as I could. The heart vanished into my inventory before I even pulled it from the creature. As soon as the heart was stashed away, I slowed down my pace, not needing to rush to hide my reward.

Several minutes later, Jas was back with Jenny and my father. The three towered over me as I knelt on the ground working.

“Let Jenny take over,” ordered my father, his curt voice causing me to pause mid-action. “We need to catch up on what happened here, and in the jungle,” he added in a slightly softer tone.

I stood up, then stretched before glancing at Hellion, and then Jas. Jenny gave me a friendly grin before taking over in front of the carcass, pulling out some sharp-looking knives. My father and Jas both turned back toward the path, and I hurried after.

“You know, you're a hot mess,” whispered Jas. “You have blood all over your arms… and your face.”

“I’ll clean up later,” I said with a shrug. “None of it’s mine.” The lie slipped out without intention, since I didn’t want anyone to worry.

Hellion glanced at me with an eyebrow raised and I felt myself blush. He knew I’d lied. Dad always knew when one of us kids lied.

Jas didn’t catch it as he continued to chat, “The colony is currently overrun with Dimetrodon and other smaller carnivores." A grin broke out on his face. "Now that the gate is plugged, people, meaning the hunters, can start to hunt them down.”

Jas nodded to a hunter who passed us heading toward the fence. As soon as they were beyond hearing, both Dad and Jas paused. Jas gave my Dad a look I couldn't understand, and he nodded in return. Jas passed him by and kept going down the path toward the main buildings.

My father pulled me off the path into the shadowy bushes, his voice concerned, “Alex, the colony isn’t a safe place anymore. You need to keep your head down, and resist growing your level any higher.”

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I blinked at the sudden change in attitude. Everything, from his voice lowering to keeping an eye on the pathway for anyone else around, screamed secret keeping, though my level was anything but a secret.

“Dad, what?” I asked, needing him to explain what he meant.

“The timing is horrible, with the miners joining us,” he ranted. “You need to be careful. At this moment, we are the highest leveled folks in the colony.” He stared at me. “Do you understand me?”

Insight revealed additional information about him.

[Hellion, Level 23, Close Combat Specialist, Predator.]

“Leveling is what we should be focusing on, dad. I have to get stronger.” Noseen’s warning echoed in the back of my head as I filed away the information about my father. “I’ve learned so much. You have no idea what’s out there,” I tried to explain.

“Xander is only level 20…” His harsh whisper cut me off, and it dawned on me what he meant. “We’ll get you out with the hunters as soon as daylight breaks. Just keep out of sight.”

I knew Xander had a thing about his level, but being upset that we had passed him felt like a bit much. Then the rest of what he said connected. “I can’t leave just yet, you need to know…”

He cut me off, again. “Nothing matters but keeping you guys safe.” He didn’t wait for a response and stepped back on the pathway and out of the shadows.”Don’t attack or kill anything until we get outside the gate, later today.”

A flash of anger rippled through me at being dismissed, and I released a harsh breath. My eyes widened as I remembered something and I snagged the note from Denver from my inventory. “Wait!” I grabbed his hand and stuffed the note into it.

The note somehow vanished from his hand, and he gave me a nod. “I promise, we’ll talk, just not right now.”

I let my shoulders relax. There was too much to talk about, with him and my brothers. Everything from what Noseen had told me, to the things that had happened at the mines, and the compound. Especially the things that John didn’t know about. The feeling of being dismissed decreased as we both moved back to the main path. My dad’s plate was overflowing, clearly, and he was prioritizing. It still sucked, though, given everything I’d been through.

It took a second to catch back up with Jas. “Be careful about the creatures in the dark.” He flashed me a smile. "They like to bite."

"Jas," growled my father, but it only caused Jas to laugh.

“I can see better than before.” I blinked, wondering how much better my vision was in the dark.

“That’s a common one with getting a class,” Jas's voice trailed off as we approached the area where the shuttle had landed.

Light shone from the wing tips, the area glowing softly. The ramp was still down, and various miners were now sitting in the back. Maggie stood guard with a dead creature laying near the edge of the wing. Several holes dotted the side of the carcass, oozing blood.

A surge of hunger rolled through me again and I dug my fingernails into the palms of my hands. The pain helped clear the emotion, but the fact that I felt like a ticking time bomb didn’t go away.

“Maggie! I didn’t expect to see you. I can't believe you left the mines,” said my father. His eyes searched through the group, frowning.

“That’s one of the things that happened,” I whispered.

Mars jolted up from somewhere in the shuttle and he marched toward the ramp.

“Dad, that you?” called John from somewhere in the front.

“Yeah.”

The light from the wing tips dimmed and went out as he appeared behind Mars. His eyes locked with mine as he motioned to my face. The feeling of him using Insight triggered and he went pale.

“What’s this I hear about miners?” asked a voice from the darkness.

My father stiffened next to me for a split second, before the alarm vanished so quickly I could have imagined it. His hand drifted behind his back and pointed at me to move behind him.

“Alexander,” said Mars, rushing off the ramp and hitting Maggie’s shoulder as he brushed past her. “We need to discuss my people joining the Colony here.” He approached Xander, who arrived out of the shadows on the path.

Sang arrived near my brother with a frown. Her eyes darted from my father, to me, then to Jas, before landing on Xander. John whispered something to her, but I didn’t catch it.

Xander nodded at Mars with a stern look on his face. “Come, we can discuss it in the main hall.” He glanced at my father. “I assume you are doing your job and the fence is fixed?”

“Yes,” he growled. “The fence is back up and running.”

“We brought a crystal from the mines to replace the one that shattered,” added Mars, like he had been part of the process.

I resisted adding anything and stayed hidden behind my father as best I could.

“Good, then Hellion can focus on getting rid of the creatures inside the fence.” He turned toward the pathway leading back to the main buildings.

Mars jerked his head at the miners still huddled in the shuttle. Several stood up and darted off the ramp to follow him as he hurried off after Xander. Maggie stayed behind, along with Sang, but the rest eventually marched after Mars. Xander's voice continued down the trail before fading away in the darkness.

John and Sang joined Maggie at the end of the ramp. Jas let out a sigh of relief, which drew everyone’s attention. “Stick to the plan, Hellion?” he asked.

“Yes, get the others as fast as possible,” replied my father.

John’s eyes widened. “Daisy time?” he whispered.

“Yes.”

Jas took off back down the pathway toward the fence. Shadows moved from the direction that Xander and Mars, along with the miners, had gone. Benny, my brother, materialized, along with Cass, from the other side of the shuttle, near the dead dinosaur. Behind him stood Abbie, the best chef in the colony. “Alex!” Benny called out to me, with a smile lighting up his entire face.

Cass darted right at me, her arms open, and I dashed forward to hug her. At least someone didn’t care that I was covered in blood. Good friends were hard to find.

The hair on the back of my neck rose, and I suddenly twisted, my spear flashing as something leaped out of the shadows on my right. The glowing tip of my spear cut through a Compy, its head went flying. Four other Compys attacked the dead dinosaur at the same time.

[You have gained experience from combat against the level 22 Compy.]

Metal darts went flying from Maggie into the group of dinos, killing one and disabling another.

“Alex, don’t!” My father's voice came too late as I took out another one with ease.

[You have gained experience from combat against the level 23 Compy.]

[You have gained a class level.]