Captured by the Alien Warrior Read online

  Captured by the Alien Warrior

  Hope Hart

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  Dragix

  I have been alone for centuries. Sometimes, I imagine what it would be like to be surrounded by others of my kind on this planet. But today, the very thought is laughable. Life is monotony.

  At least it was until just a few moments ago, when a huge metal object slammed into the ground.

  I know metal. It was this material that the Braxians used to kill my parents.

  I watch for a while, but nothing happens. Finally, the yellow two-legs approach. I snort, a small plume of smoke escaping my left nostril. The yellow ones taste bitter, their bones splintering easily.

  I leave, no longer interested. I fly over my territory, scanning the forest for anything that will hold my attention. Truthfully, this entire planet is mine, yet I do not often care to leave my favorite mountain, with the large, flat rock so perfect for napping in the afternoon sun.

  I bank left, flexing my wings as I turn my attention to my next meal.

  I do not concern myself with two-legs.

  Charlie

  I think I may be dying.

  I’ve been hit in the head plenty of times before—the consequences of living with a man who thought it was A-okay to smack me in the face when I displeased him.

  This is something different. My head feels wrong. And there’s so much blood. I can smell it all over me, the scent metallic even through the bitter smell of the vomit I just left on the ground in front of me.

  We’ve been walking for hours. Following the yellow creatures who say they’re taking us back to their tribe to help us find food and water.

  At this point, it takes every ounce of my energy just to put one foot in front of the other. The other women are flicking me concerned glances, but I have no choice except to follow the herd like a wounded sheep, waiting to be picked off by a wolf.

  I snort at that, and my head spins as I stumble over a tree root sticking up from the ground. I just need a few minutes. Just a moment or two to catch my breath and hope that the world stops spinning sickly around me.

  “I need a break,” I manage to get out. One of the other women—Ellie, I think her name is—glances at me, and her mouth drops open. Her face pales as she glances at my head and then back at Karok—the leader of the Voildi.

  He doesn’t look impressed. “We must keep moving if we are to make it to our camp by nightfall.”

  Nevada—a tough, confident woman who told us she’s a marine—gives him a long look.

  “Charlie isn’t feeling well,” she says. “We can take ten minutes.”

  The other women stop, and I reach out, leaning against one of the trees. The white bark is rough under my hand, and I take deep breaths, fighting against the nausea as I hear Ellie begging the Voildi to help us find some water.

  Water.

  I’d give just about anything for just a cupped handful of water right now.

  I don’t know what the Voildi say in reply, but from the tension I can feel rolling off the other women, it’s not good.

  And then I’m stumbling back, fighting against the roiling in my stomach as several huge, long-haired, seriously muscled men jump into the small clearing and draw their swords, eyes narrowed on the Voildi.

  “Great,” I mutter, too sick to even be afraid. “Just fucking great.”

  I don’t want to die. I haven’t even truly lived yet. So I turn, scanning the clearing behind me as I attempt to find a hiding spot. I’m well aware of my limitations, and from the sound of metal clashing, I can already tell that my self-defense class is useless here.

  I back away. If I have to choose between dying from a head wound and being struck through with one of those huge swords, I’m going to choose option A. It involves curling up and going to sleep, and right now, that sounds just peachy.

  I frantically scan my surroundings, finding a small path between several of the tall, bleached trees. I use them to steady myself as I stumble away, searching for somewhere safe to hunker down and hide.

  The further I get from the sound of men fighting—and dying—in that clearing, the more certain I am that I can hear water rushing in the distance.

  Maybe this can be my contribution to the group, since I’m not exactly contributing much else. If the other women are smart, they’ll be hiding as well. And if we all live through the next few moments, I can at least direct them to water.

  It’s this thought that makes me increase my stumbling pace. The blood pounds in my ears as I trip over sharp sticks and rocks, without the energy to even wince in pain.

  And that’s when the creature strikes.

  I scream as something hits me from behind, and I’m falling, but right before I hit the ground, I’m lifted up, up into the fern-colored sky.

  Claws. Those are claws holding me, pressed into my skin. Within a moment, my body flips, my legs rising, until I’m falling backward.

  “Oh God, oh God, oh God.”

  Just like I imagined. The wounded, bleeding sheep was picked off from the herd.

  I really wish I’d just found a nice spot to fall asleep and let the head wound do its job.

  When my body begins to flip, I squeeze my eyes shut. I’m definitely about to be thrust into the creature’s mouth. The last sound I’ll hear will be the crunch of what are sure to be sharp teeth as it bites down on my body.

  I shudder, but the creature isn’t eating me yet. Instead, I feel something beneath me, something warm. The claws let go, and I plop onto…scales.

  I glance up, and my stomach roils as my mouth goes dry. I thought I was in trouble before, but this is much worse.

  The creature holding me cupped in its hand or foot is a…dragon.

  I reach up a shaky hand and prod at my head. Pain explodes through my scalp and into my brain, and I yelp.

  Still alive. Not dreaming.

  The dragon’s scales are blue. No…green. No…both. His wings cast a shadow over me, and I glance down. The ground is spinning, that huge shadow demonstrating the wingspan of the beast.

  Too far to jump.

  The hand…or foot curls around me, the huge claws rising as if the dragon has read my mind. I look up again, and I can’t help but tremble as it tilts its head, one bright gold eye narrowing as it examines me.

  I lean over and vomit, getting most of it on the creature’s scales. I raise my head in time to see a curl of smoke rise from one of the dragon’s nostrils as it chuffs.

  My head swims, and I finally lean back, too sick to care that I’m about to be eaten.

  Dragix

  The female creature slumps against me, and I fly faster. I can smell her blood through the underlying sickness that seems to radiate from her.

  If I do not get her back to my lair quickly, she will die. I tilt my head at that. When I swooped down to collect the strange two-legged female, I thought I was drawn to her scent for a meal.

  No. The female creature smells good but not for eating.

  She smells like…family. Like laughter and joy. Like fighting and mating.

  My mountain looms in t
he distance, and I pick up the pace, catching an air current as I soar through the sky.

  When I approach the long, flat rock, I make sure my landing is gentle, unwilling to further jostle my new possession.

  The female groans weakly against me, and I waste no time. I place her gently on the ground and get to work, licking at her bleeding.

  My saliva will heal most wounds, but it cannot bring back the dead. And I can hear the dull thump of this female’s heart, the beats spaced further and further apart, as if it is close to giving up.

  I glance up, narrowing my eyes at the movement as Maez steps through the rocky entrance to my lair. If she is surprised to see the wounded creature on the rock in front of me, she doesn’t show it, instead dropping her eyes submissively.

  I wait one long moment. Maez has served me faithfully, as her kind once served and lived in harmony with my people. When the Braxians came, my race was not the only race to be slaughtered.

  I give her a warning look as she raises her eyes, and she waits for my nod before she approaches. I don’t need to tell her that this creature is not for eating. She angles her head, her gaze immediately falling on the wounded female’s head.

  “Oh no,” she murmurs, crouching down next to her. “She is very close to death, Dragix.”

  I snort, and she glances up at my displeasure.

  “You expect honesty, and I’m giving it to you. She may not last the night.”

  I narrow my eyes again, and Maez sighs.

  “So much blood,” she tuts. Her hands are gentle as she moves the female’s hair away from the deep wound. I reach out one claw to feel her hair. When I let go, the black lock bounces back into place.

  “Curls,” Maez says, but her attention is elsewhere. She frowns as she examines the female’s ear, where blood has pooled. “There’s a small break in her skull here…see? If you want her to live…” She raises her eyes as if checking that this is still correct, and I nod. “In that case, you’ll need to ensure your saliva gets deep right here. If her bone can knit back together and her brain is not injured, she will live.”

  I nod and get to work, licking at the injury. Maez directs me, and I ensure that my saliva is deep enough to heal.

  This healing is one of the many reasons creatures on this planet attempt to hunt me. They believe it is my blood that can heal almost any injury.

  I return my attention to the female. Maez murmurs something about water and steps away. When she has returned, I am finished, and I watch as she manages to trickle a few sips of water down the female’s throat.

  “Now all we can do is wait,” Maez says, and I resist the urge to snarl at her. She has been the one loyal creature in my life for years now. If she says that there is no more to do, I will believe her.

  She leaves me with the strange female, and since Maez has wiped some of the blood away, I can examine her properly. The female’s skin is white and pallid, and her body is much smaller than the other two-legs’ on this planet. I don’t know the color of her eyes, and I find myself interested, wishing she would open them so I can see.

  It is worth keeping this two-leg alive for that curiosity alone. I have not felt interest in anything other than the sun on my scales and the occasional hunt for…too long.

  If this two-leg breaks the boredom of my long life, then I will keep her.

  Chapter Two

  Charlie

  I wake to warmth. Someone is bathing my face, and the feeling of anyone touching me with gentleness is strange enough that my eyes pop open.

  One huge gold eye stares back at me.

  I yelp, pushing my hands into the hard rock beneath me as I attempt to sit up.

  The dragon.

  Oh God. He hasn’t eaten me yet. Maybe he prefers his prey conscious.

  My hands shake at the thought. Why can I never catch a break? Now instead of dying while unconscious, I get to do it while completely aware of what’s about to happen to me?

  No one has my kind of luck. No one.

  The dragon lowers his head again, and I yelp as I realize that he’s been licking me. I’m suddenly enraged, and I lift my hand, pushing his head away.

  That dinner-plate-sized eye narrows on me.

  This bastard thinks he can play with his prey? Can lick my blood and enjoy torturing me slowly as I die?

  I don’t think so.

  He leans down again, and this time, I punch him in the snout.

  His eye widens, and he rears back. I use the opportunity to turn onto my hands and knees, attempting to crawl along the hard rock.

  Within a moment, the dragon is in front of me. He’s so huge that he only had to swivel his head around to stare down at me.

  He wants to savor his kill? I’ll piss him off enough that he ends me quick. Sometimes you gotta take your wins where you find them.

  He leans down again, and I bare my teeth at him.

  He simply opens his mouth slightly to display his own.

  Oh God. His teeth. They’re packed into that lethal mouth like sharp knives in a drawer.

  He leans closer again, likely believing that showing me those sharp white teeth is enough to make me fall in line with his plan to eat me in small bites.

  This time, I aim for his eye.

  He slams it closed in time, but my fist hits the flesh of his eyelid. It’s thick and strong, but it must still be sensitive because the dragon leans back his head and roars.

  His eyes are enraged when he looks down at me again.

  “He’s trying to heal you,” a voice says, and the dragon turns his head, the movement allowing me to see a woman. She has long white hair, and her skin is a light purple. I glance back at the predator in front of me, more interested in keeping him in my line of sight.

  “He’s licking at my blood. What is it, an appetizer for him?”

  The woman laughs softly, her voice sounding closer. The dragon tilts his head at her, once again showing off his teeth. Or is it her teeth? No. The woman just called the beast “him.”

  “If he wanted to eat you, you’d already be in his belly,” she says. “Believe me when I say that he’s trying to help you heal.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “He does as he pleases.”

  I can practically feel the shrug in her voice even as I keep my eyes on the dragon, who is looking more pissed off by the second. He doesn’t like us talking, I realize.

  “This doesn’t exactly seem hygienic.”

  “Dragon saliva has incredible healing properties. I suggest you allow him to tend to your wound.”

  “I don’t think I can.”

  To lie here like prey and allow this creature to lick at my blood? That’s too much to ask.

  I return my gaze to the woman, and the smell of smoke fills my nostrils as the dragon shifts.

  “Look,” I say, attempting to make them see reason. “I’m feeling much better.”

  I am, I realize. I no longer want to curl into a ball and vomit repeatedly, and my vision isn’t blurred. Best of all, the world isn’t swimming around me. My head still pounds, the headache relentless, but if I can get away from here, I might actually have a chance of living.

  She raises her eyebrow, and I narrow my eyes at her.

  “I’m grateful for whatever has happened here, but I need to get back to the other women I was with.”

  What if they’ve found a way off this godforsaken planet? What if they leave without me?

  It’s that thought that makes me attempt to rise once more, and the dragon makes it clear that this displeases him, shoving his huge face so close to mine that my fist itches to punch him again.

  “Dragix does as he pleases,” the woman says again over my shoulder, and I can hear her footsteps fade as she walks away.

  Dragix

  The two-leg is not pleased. She glances after Maez, her eyes widening as if she has been betrayed.

  “Obviously the sisterhood doesn’t exist on this planet,” she mutters.

  She returns her attention
to me. “If you can understand me, blink once.”

  I am…entertained. I blink, and her eyes widen further.

  They’re a deep blue. So blue that they remind me of the Colossal Water when the sun hits it in the morning. The color soothes me, dampening the endless rage that beats within my body like a drum.

  “Okay,” the female says. “My name is Charlie. Well, it’s really Charlotte, but my friends call me Charlie. You can call me that too, if you promise not to eat me.”

  Char-lee. I have never heard such a name. I cannot speak to her, and for a moment, I mourn this. I blink at her instead, and she gives me a trembling smile. I can still smell her terror, but she is attempting to dampen it. Brave creature.

  “Look,” she says. “I appreciate the healing.” Her lips twists, and she stares at my mouth as if slightly revolted. “But I don’t need that anymore. So if you could keep your healing powers to yourself, that would be much appreciated.”

  I snort, and she flinches as a curl of smoke escapes my nostril. Her eyes widen, the air thick with her fear.

  She is still in pain. Even if I couldn’t smell it, lingering below her terror, I could see it in the way her eyes close and she flinches each time I move my head and the sun hits her eyes.

  I didn’t go through all the trouble of snatching up this female only to have her die before I can understand why I am so intrigued by her. I did not finally find an escape from the endless boredom and rage only for her weak two-leg body to fail.

  I lean down, attempting to ignore the scent of her dread. Usually, the smell of fear is heady, an appetizer before I eat my prey. Her fear is different. It makes me want to roar, to burn whoever made her bleed.

  I freeze. Two-legs are fragile; however, they do not bleed with no reason. For the first time, my inability to communicate with this female—with Charlie—frustrates me. Someone must have caused her injuries. I will find out who, and I will turn them to ash.