by Presley Hall
Kzuri bares his teeth, looking so much like he did the last time he came to my rescue like this. Like a guardian angel, leaping into the fray to save my life for the second time. I watch, barely able to see, barely able to breathe through the panic threatening to overwhelm me. There are so many of these alien raiders, and there’s only one of him. Even Axen, as fierce a warrior as he is, seems to be at risk of being overwhelmed by the sheer number of attackers.
And still, Kzuri keeps fighting. He moves with such grace and power that even in my terror, I can’t tear my gaze away from him. He’s a fierce fighter, and I know he trains with Axen often. He must be one of the best.
But there are just so many…
My captor yells, calling the attention of four massive raiders that are fighting nearby. They all have tusks and thick hides, hulking creatures that remind me of upright boars, and even with the smell of blood and smoke around us, my stomach roils at their stench. I struggle even more as they stride toward me, and then scream when they turn their attention to Kzuri.
“Kzuri!” I shout, and his head snaps up.
He sees the pig monsters and snarls at them, bracing himself. They roar and converge on him as one, with no visible weapons, preferring instead to bludgeon him or hit him with their tusks. My entire body is numb with fear as I watch them attack him. Blood leaks sluggishly from what looks like every inch of his body.
In this hellish landscape, he’s my guardian angel.
And he is falling.
Kzuri grits his teeth and braces himself to launch another attack, but one of the tusked monster’s blows sends him to his knees. He grunts, trying to get up, and another blow knocks his spear out of his hand. I yell, kicking wildly, desperate to get free and help him somehow. But there’s nothing I can do.
With a final savage blow, Kzuri is knocked unconscious, crumpling to the ground.
The raider holding me calls to the tusked men, and my blood goes cold as they haul Kzuri up into their arms and start carrying us both away.
“No!” I scream. “Droth! Axen! Somebody, please!”
“Gemma!”
A voice rings out behind me—one of the other women, although I don’t know who. My blood goes cold at the thought of the rest of them being taken.
I twist around, craning my neck, and my heart sinks as I see Kzuri being practically dragged through the hole in the ruined settlement wall. Something seems to break open in my chest at the sight of him.
He fought to protect me, and he lost, and now we both might die.
A sob tears from my throat as the multi-limbed raider and the others load us onto two hover bikes, throwing us over the backs of the strange vehicles before speeding away. The forest whips past us in a dark blur as tears and leaves sting my face. I try to keep Kzuri in sight, as though through sheer force of will, I can keep him from dying.
I can’t bear the thought of him losing his life because of me.
At some point, the bikes stop, and we’re hauled off and tossed to the ground. I gasp, looking around, searching for a way to escape, but there are so many of them around us. There’s no way for me to outrun them, and I can’t leave Kzuri behind.
One of the raiders approaches and yanks me toward him roughly. My wrists and ankles are bound with coarse rope and sealed with some kind of alien locking device, and they do the same with Kzuri. The raider grins at us, and then we are hauled back onto the back of the bikes, and we’re off again at a crushing speed.
I look over to Kzuri. My hands are shaking, and I can’t reach him. The bikes are too far apart, and I don’t dare try to move too much when we’re racing through the forest at such high speed. More tears leak from my eyes as I look at his face, barely lit by the blue glow that emanates from the bottoms of the hover bikes.
“Kzuri,” I choke out, my breath coming short and fast. Panic is setting in, and I know that one way or another, we’re in terrible trouble. We might be sold as slaves, tortured, or killed outright.
All I have left is Kzuri. He’s my only ally, my guardian angel. He needs to wake up.
“Don’t die,” I whisper, closing my eyes and pressing my face against my forearm. I don’t want the raiders to hear me beg or see me cry. “Please don’t die.”
Although I’m sure I say the words, I don’t even hear them myself. I can’t hear anything above the ringing in my ears as we’re carried farther and farther away from the settlement.
Away from friends.
From safety.
From hope.
***
Her Alien Warrior, Gemma and Kzuri’s story, is next. Can they survive the danger that awaits them with only each other to rely on?
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Also by Presley Hall
Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors Series
Claimed - Book 1
Stolen - Book 2
Rescued - Book 3
Bound - Book 4
Broken - Book 5
Consumed - Book 6
Damaged - Book 7
NOTE: Each book in this series can be read as a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment, it’s recommended that you read the series in order.
Voxeran Fated Mates Series
Her Alien Prince - Book 1
Her Alien Savior - Book 2
Her Alien Beast - Book 3
Her Alien Warrior - Book 4
TBA - Book 5
NOTE: Each book in this series can be read as a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment, it’s recommended that you read the series in order.