Page 9 of Found By the Alien Warrior

My shoes squeaked as I stumbled past a room where Gornoc was situated. He was in some kind of lab. All around him were beakers filled with boiling liquids and foreign metallic objects that looked nothing short of terrifying.

Thankfully, he didn’t hear my shoes squeak. I looked into the room from the doorway. What was that reddish stain on the chair next to him? Before Gornoc could notice me at the doorway, I darted back into the hall.

My hands trembled as I finally reached the kitchen. I found the peanuts and other snacks set out for the crowd. The cooks in there ignored me as I grabbed a bag and retraced my steps out to the arena.

Korga’s tentacled client waited for me with another lewd grin.

"Here’s your peanuts," I said through gritted teeth, trying to maintain composure.

I made my way back to the front of the section to continue watching Aurik’s match.

AURIK

The moment Raze the Reckoner stepped into the ring, I knew I was in for a real challenge. A native from the planet Drakor, he was built like a Wanderstar Fleet tank. The steel-enforced tips of his long horns glinted under the arena lights.

I stretched my shoulders. I was tired of these endless bouts, but there was too much at stake, especially with Sonya watching from the sidelines. Minutes before, a guard told me I needed to win this match if I wanted to keep her from the other males. Leave it to Korga to keep changing the rules.

The referee brought down his hand. “Begin.”

Once the match started, I put my Yronian abilities to use. I opened my ears, picking up the shifts in Raze's heart rate and breathing. Those helped me predict his next move. He lunged at me, his claws slashing through the air, but they only grazed my tough skin. I countered with a powerful punch, sending him reeling. Our battle raged on, each of us determined to win. For Raze, his reward was a few weeks off. For me, it meant Sonya would stay unharmed.

"Is that all you've got?" Raze taunted, tossing his head to display his deadly set of horns.

"Hardly," I replied, smirking. "You haven't even seen the best part yet."

Raze charged again, managing to toss me onto the ground. Pain shot through me, but I refused to give in. With a swift kick, I targeted his knees, bringing him down with a crash. Before he could recover, I pinned him to the ground, his snarl morphing into a gasp of defeat.

"You fought well. Better luck next time." I rose to my feet.

The crowd roared around us, their screams of excitement blending together, but their cheers meant nothing to me. Another day, another fight to satisfy Korga's bloodlust. As I stood in the ring, sweat dripping from my brow, my gaze locked onto Sonya's. The moment I spotted her in the crowd, my heart thundered against my chest, and the bond instinct roared to life once more. She was all I saw, all that mattered.

"Great match, Aurik," Korga bellowed from his seat in the front of the VIP section. "You've made me a fortune tonight."

I clenched my fists. As much as I wanted to lash out at him, I couldn't jeopardize future plans to shut this thing down. "You got what you wanted, Korga. Now I want Sonya brought to my quarters."

"Ha, not so fast, stallion." His lips spread at the bottom of his tusks. "She's got work to do, tending to my departing guests. You'll have to wait your turn."

My jaw tightened, but I forced myself to remain calm. "No one touches her. Remember."

“Yes.” Korga rolled his eyes. “She’ll stay pristine for you. Now go before you ruin my mood.”

Gritting my teeth, I turned away from them both as I walked to my quarters. Two guards flanked me to ensure I went exactly where I was supposed to go.

Once I reached my quarters and the door closed behind me, I leaned against it. I tried to make sense of the change in myself once I saw Sonya tonight. It seemed even stronger than when I first met her. Was it just adrenaline from my victory, or something more powerful?

I had to refocus. I wanted her here tonight so we could start working on our plan.

But as I paced the room, my thoughts kept returning to the hot electric charge that surged between us. Who knew, in this fresh hell of an existence, I'd find a connection with a woman whose origins were light years different from mine?

Chapter Five

SONYA

After helping to clear the arena seats of drinks and trash, I was sent back to the female wing of the building before it was time to see Aurik.

He wanted to see me in his quarters. I heard the way he talked to Korga. I huffed at the macho guy way he thought he could claim me. Was he serious? What did he think was going to happen?

Once Aurik’s match was over, I didn’t get a chance to see how the small crowd left the complex. It would’ve been helpful to learn how they traveled or heard where they were going. I had been too nervous tonight, but if there was another night like this, I would find a way to innocently chat up the VIP section for details about this planet and the ring.

---