Page 50 of Adored By the Alien Warlord
She howled in pain, stumbling backward. I pressed forward, driving her back down the hall.
Oolah feinted, her claws swiping at my face. I jerked back, and her claws missed me by a hair's breadth. Lunging at me again, her jaws snapped too close by my face. I twisted away, using her imbalance to land a punch in her side. She grunted, her scales absorbing most of the impact, but I knew I'd hurt her. The acrid scent of her pain tainted the air.
Her tail whipped around, catching me off guard. It wrapped around my ankle, and she yanked me off my feet. I hit the ground hard on my side, the impact jarring through my bones. Oolah towered over me, her eyes gleaming with triumph.
“You're weak, Zuldruxian,” she sneered. “You can't beat me.”
I glared up at her. “You talk too much.” Growling, I latched onto her tail. I dug my nails in, feeling her scales shift to the side, exposing the tender tissue beneath. She howled, trying to pull away, but I held tight, using her tail as leverage to pull myself to my feet.
Still digging into her tail, I landed a jab to her snout.She staggered back, blood dripping from her nostrils. I drove her farther down the hall with a series of punches. She tried to block, to counter, but I was relentless. I could taste victory, smell her fear.
Oolah changed tactics, dropping to all fours and charging at me like a wild beast. I braced myself, ready to take the hit. At the last instant, I sidestepped, letting her momentum carry her past me. She crashed into the wall, her head hitting the stone with a sickening thud. She slumped to the ground, dazed, and I grabbed her beneath the arms and dragged her into Maggie's room. I released her while she moaned and locked the door, rushing back out into the hall.
The packs were where Maggie had left them, near the wall. But Maggie was gone. My heart punched through my chest as I scanned the area.
I grabbed the packs, slinging them over my shoulder and bellowed, “Maggie!”
Chapter 27
Maggie
Iwas distracted by watching Davon and Oolah fight, which let the king and his guards creep up behind me.
His hand sliced my way. “Take her. Bring her with us.” Pivoting, he stormed down the hall.
I yelped and turned to run, but a guard tackled me. He quickly bound my hands behind my back and dragged me to my feet, snarling in my face. “Walk, or I’ll hit you in the head and carry you.”
The guard's grip on my arm was like a vise, his claws digging into my skin as he dragged me down the hall. The king stalked ahead of us, his tail twisting behind him. We rounded a corner and came across a group of Veerenads clashing with palace guards. Bodies lay on the tile, and the sharp clang of metal on metal filled the air. The scent of blood hung thick and coppery.
The king hissed, pressing himself against the walland sliding back. Once out of sight, he barked orders at two of his guards, who rushed forward to join the battle.
The king grabbed my arm, his fingers biting into my skin as he pulled me down a different corridor.
“You thought you could escape?” he snarled, his eyes flashing anger. “You are mine, pet. You will be until I tire of you and sell you to someone new. How you behave now will predict who I sell you to next.” Warning rang out in his voice.
I glared, my heart blazing with fury. “I hate you. I'd rather die than be your pet.”
He lifted his fist, his eyes burning with malice, but a noise behind us made him pause. I looked back, hoping to see Davon, but the hall remained empty. The king's grip tightened on my arm, and he dragged me forward, his pace quickening to a gallop.
We rushed through the back halls of the palace, the sounds of battle echoing around us. The king's breath came in ragged gasps, his fear a palpable thing that sent a thrill of satisfaction through me. I wanted whoever was attacking to win. I wanted the king to pay for what he'd done to me, to Davon, to all the others he'd probably hurt.
We burst through a metal door, the cool morning air hitting my face like a slap. A covered carriage pulled by a beast waited for us. The king wrenched open the door and shoved me inside.
I stumbled, falling onto the floor.
“Give me something to tie her,” the king barked at his guards. One of them handed him a length of vine, and heclimbed into the carriage, his breath hot on my face as he lifted and secured me to a seat.
“You can't keep me like this forever.” I struggled against the bindings. “When you glance away, I'm gone.”
A cruel smile twisted his lips. “You're with me until I throw you away. Behave and it won't be today.” He settled into the seat across from me and when he rapped his knuckles on the side of the carriage, it lurched forward, winding quickly around the building and down the front driveway.
Chaos echoed around us, guards clashing in the courtyard with other Veerenads. I looked out the window, searching for any sign of Davon.
“Maggie!” he bellowed from too far behind us.
The king's smile widened, and he leaned back in his seat. “He'll never see you again.”
I wanted to scream, to claw his eyes from their sockets, but I bit back my rage, forcing myself to think. If I was going to escape, I had to be smart. Letting him win wouldn’t help me one bit. I wouldn't let him take me from Davon.