Page 15 of Angel Captive

“It was just me and my mom forever. She was a single mom and worked two jobs to keep us from the shelters. Human kids in the shelters got bullied often and some ran away never to be seen again. My mom didn’t want that for me.” I let out a breath, forcing the tears back. “So, we hid me away at her boss’ warehouse while she cooked and cleaned for him during the day and did her waitress gig at night. I had no friends, no toys to keep me company, just shelves crammed full of old computers, phones, and TVs. I started tinkering with them until I got one to work, then another, and another. By the time I was found out, I was fourteen and my mom’s boss offered me a job.”

“You had a natural talent,” he said, and goosebumps broke out across my skin. “Your mom was proud?”

“Not at all.” I hugged my legs tighter to my chest. “She was furious. Told him I was just a child and shouldn’t be put to work.”

“But she left you alone in that warehouse. I’m confused why she wouldn’t be happy for you.”

Tears burned the back of my eyes and I sniffed. “Me too. We had a huge argument that night. A-And I refused to leave and go home with her.”

Xaden didn’t drill me with questions like the few ties I had opened up to close friends. He just sat across from me with no judgment in his dark purple eyes and merely waited for me to continue. I had this sense of his understanding as though he wouldn’t press me for answers if I wasn’t ready. It was so refreshing that I didn’t say anything and basked in his acceptance.

Because when I told him the rest of the story, he wouldn’t want anything to do with me. He’d hate me. And I wanted to hold onto this feeling of him caring about me a little while longer.

“I-I…” oh God, how was I going to get the words out? They felt like they were burning me up inside and I knew once I spoke to them, they’d cause a rift between us. Why had I even brought up my mom?

Xaden growled and leapt from the floor.

“Wha—”

He grasped my arm, hauling me behind him.

“Glad to see you too,” a Roulex said.

I peeked over Xaden’s shoulder to see Charred standing in front of our bared door with four other guards.Shit.

“Don’t worry, we aren’t here for her.” He smiled, showing his serrated teeth. “You two have been talking instead of mating. Time to pay the toll for disobedience.”

Xaden rushed them. His body slammed up against the bars so hard I cringed from the sound. His hands were around Charred’s throat.

“You die today.”

“I don’t think so,” he croaked out.

Then a green flash hit Xaden, and I dove forward, but a blast hit me in my chest and I couldn’t move. I was frozen in place. Xaden had warned me about this—damn tractor beams. I hadn’t experienced this myself until now and I couldn’t believe I couldn’t freaking move.

I tried to open my mouth to scream, but even that was locked in place.

The door swung open with a creak and the guards used their beams to move Xaden out of our cell and into the hallway.

“Time for your medicine, human,” Charred pulled out an injection gun from his belt.

I wanted to tell him off, to flick him both fingers, but I couldn’t fucking move.

As if giddy on hurting me, he smirked and jabbed my thigh with the medicine. Then he trailed his claws over the spot, and I fought not to throw up, my gaze flicked to Xaden.

“That’s a good girl.” Charred rubbed at his scaled neck. “Don’t worry your pretty head about him, human. We’ll bring him back without too many pounds of flesh missing.”

He shut the door with a clank. My forcefield zapped off me and I tumbled onto my hands and knees from the sudden release.

I jumped to my feet. “Leave him alone.”

“If you care that much for him, human, there is one thing you can do to save him.”

All of my insides froze again like I was back in the beam. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t ask, couldn’t stand to hear the answer I knew was always there since I'd discovered why they had brought me to this prison.

“That’s right.” Charred beamed. “Mate with him and get pregnant and then we’ll let you go.” He fingered a curl of my hair through the bars. “Give you better accommodations until the bastard is born.”

I spat in his face, jerking away from him.

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