Page 60 of Treasured By the Hunter

“We watchedThe Notebookon Friday. And we ate something that resembled tacos on Tuesday.”

He rubbed his temples like he couldn't believe the drivel he was hearing. He dug into his pocket and then tossed a mini notebook and pen at me. “Draw the layout of their base.”

I drew the intersection, and then I added the farmhouse, the barn, and the plaza in roughly the shape that it would be if seen from the sky. Their shuttle would have seen at least this much. “Something like that,” I said, handing it back to him.

He nodded, then asked what each part was.

“Here is the grocery store,” I said. “And this is a pharmacy, and over here is the fast food place. And over here…”

He stopped me before I could rattle off any more useless information. They would’ve seen all this from the air with their shuttle.

“Do you know how many of those aliens live there? How many humans?”

“Well, everyone was out dealing with the scary nest, so I don’t know.”

He pressed his lips in a thin line. “I need to get some fresh air. Stay in here, and don’t run off. There are flyers outside. And I won’t waste any bullets saving you.” Then he stomped out, frustrated at not getting anything useful out of me.

Ha! Kidnapper: 0. Dumb Broad Act: 1.

As he entered the back room, Riley cracked a smile and gave me a thumbs-up. We both shuffled over to the side door Corey hadn’t gone out of. If we were lucky, it wouldn’t be locked. I was willing to brave the flyers to get out of here. Riley seemed to have the same idea.

We’d just reached the door when, suddenly, Corey and one of his friends burst in from the side door with panicked looks.

“Aliens!” yelled the asshole. “There’s an alien shuttle landing just behind the other building.”

Boss Man stepped out from the back room, and all three looked our way.

“Hey! Get back here,” Corey shouted.

Riley and I both decided right then and there to run.

Chapter 29: Harb’k

I stepped out of my shuttle, ready to fight, only to see Zoey already running to me, her friend trailing behind her. What phenomenal luck.

I ordered my shuttle to uncloak so they would see me. The look of relief was evident when she did.

“Harb’k!”

I ran toward her, eager to hold her in my arms, but also because I knew there were enemies around. I needed to protect her. Just as I got within arm’s reach, I saw them. The two humans aimed their weapons at me and fired.

I heard the gunshots moments before she tumbled into my arms. I caught her and rolled out of the way. I didn’t feel any of the bullets so they must have missed. Good.

I grabbed the small blade I’d attached to my belt and threw it at my nearest adversary. As he fell, the hilt sticking out of his face, the other two panicked, ducking back into the building and giving me enough time to carry my mate to the shuttle.

Kan’n had landed next to me and was currently helping Riley.

“Get inside,” I said, setting Zoey down by my shuttle’s door. “I will take care of them.”

But Zoey stumbled the second I released her. I righted her again, and this time, she slumped against my shuttle. There was a look of shock on her face. It was only then that I saw the blood on the front of her hoodie. She looked down at her stomach, then put her hand over the growing spot of blood. The tang of iron filled my nostrils.

No! I caught her in my arms before she fell.

“Zoey!” Riley tried to run toward us, but Kan’n grabbed her and shoved her into his shuttle. “Go. Get the female to safety,” Kan’n said. Then he charged at the humans.

Panic set in as I carried her into my shuttle, our enemies forgotten.

“Shuttle! Zoey’s been shot. We need to get to Franklin. Now.” There was a full-body medical unit there. I wasn’t sure a handheld device could save her. There was so much blood.

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