Page 14 of Alien Prince's Fated Mate

“Insane?” I finished for her, managing a wry smile.

“Pretty much.”

We continued in tense silence, focusing on each careful step. The bagart whinnied softly, clearly unhappy with our precarious position. I was about to suggest a brief rest when a faint, high-pitched whir reached my ears.

My blood ran cold. I knew that sound.

“Drone,” I hissed, scanning the sky. “Quick, in here!”

I yanked Niam towards a narrow crevice in the cliff face, barely visible unless you knew where to look. The bagart followed, sensing our urgency. We squeezed into the tight space, Niam's back flush with my front, the bagart's bulk blocking most of the entrance.

“What--” Niam started to ask, but I pressed a finger to her lips, shaking my head.

I strained my Valti-enhanced hearing, tracking the drone’s approach. The whine grew louder, accompanied by the soft hum of its scanning beam. Niam’s heart raced against my palm, her breath warm on my neck. I fought to keep my own pulse steady, hyper-aware of every point of contact between us.

The drone zipped past our hiding spot, then paused. My muscles tensed. Had it detected us? After an agonizing moment, it continued on.

I let out a careful breath. “I think we’re--”

The whir intensified. The drone was coming back.

“It’s scanning,” I whispered. “Must have picked up a trace.”

Niam’s eyes widened. “What do we do?”

I weighed our options quickly. “Stay here. I’ll draw it off.”

Before she could protest, I slipped past the bagart out of the crevice. I scanned the ground, spotting a fist-sized rock. Perfect. I scooped it up, took aim, and hurled it at the hovering drone with all my strength.

The rock struck true, knocking the drone off-course. It wobbled, sensors blinking in confusion. I sprinted towards it, pushing my Valti speed to its limit. My hands closed around the device just as it started to right itself.

Metal crunched between my fingers. Sparks flew as I crushed its delicate circuitry. The drone gave one last pathetic whir before going dark.

I jogged back to Niam, tossing the mangled drone aside. “Coast is clear, for now.”

She emerged from the crevice, relief evident on her face. “That was--”

A low rumble cut her off. The ground beneath our feet began to tremble.

“Rockslide!” I shouted, grabbing Niam’s arm.

I spotted a small cave entrance just ahead and pulled her towards it. Rocks and debris rained down around us. The bagart screamed, still tethered near the crevice.

We dove into the cave as the mountainside came crashing down. I threw myself over Niam, shielding her with my body as dust and smaller rocks pelted us. The bagart’s cries were abruptly cut off, swallowed by the roar of the avalanche.

When the rumbling finally subsided, I lifted my head cautiously. Niam lay beneath me, wide-eyed but unharmed. Our faces were inches apart, her breath mingling with mine in the close confines of the cave.

“Are you alright?” I asked, my voice rougher than I intended.

She nodded, not breaking eye contact. “Thanks to you.”

I became acutely aware of our position – my body pressed against hers, one hand cradling her head protectively.

Reluctantly, I pushed myself up and offered Niam a hand. As she stood, dust rained from her hooded robe.

“The bagart?” she asked softly.

I shook my head. “Caught in the slide. We’re on foot from here.”

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