Page 4 of Alien Prince's Fated Mate

Panic clawed at my throat, but I forced it down. I still had one advantage. My connection to the system might be gone, but I knew them inside and out. I led us to a maintenance panel, prying it open with shaking hands.

“What are you doing?” Laren asked, the first unprompted thing she’d said in months.

“Buying us some time.”

I manipulated the circuitry, bypassing security protocols. The alarm cut off abruptly. That would slow them down, but not for long.

We continued on, moving as fast as Laren’s weakened state allowed. Just as we reached the main corridor, voices approached. Two guards rounded the corner, stopping short when they saw us.

“Oracle Niam?” One of them frowned. “What are you doing here?”

I pulled the hood of my robe lower, grateful for its concealing shadow. The irony didn’t escape me. For years, I’d worn it to hide the grotesque implants forced into my skull, sparing others the discomfort of seeing such a visible sign of the Temple’s control.

Now, it served a different purpose. The hood shielded my newly healed skin from prying eyes, masking the absence of those very implants. The medbay’s regenerative technology had done its work well, leaving only a thin layer of fresh skin where metal and circuitry once protruded.

“Everything is fine,” I said, infusing my voice with the calm authority I’d cultivated over years of Temple service. “I’m escorting this girl to a special... procedure.”

The guards exchanged glances, uncertainty flickering across their faces. I held my breath, praying they wouldn’t question me further.

The guards exchanged a glance.

“We weren’t informed of any-”

“Are you questioning the will of the High Priest?” I snapped. “Perhaps you’d like to explain your insubordination to him directly?”

They paled visibly.

“No, of course not, Oracle. Our apologies.”

I nodded curtly and swept past them, Laren stumbling along beside me. We turned the corner and I let out a shaky breath. It had worked. We were almost there.

The exit loomed ahead, our gateway to freedom. My pulse thundered in my ears as we approached. Just a few more steps...

I led us towards the emergency escape passage on sublevel one north, my heart pounding with each step. The unfamiliar corridors stretched before us, dimly lit and eerily silent. I’d never set foot in this part of the temple before, relying solely on my memory of the schematics I’d studied countless times.

“Where are we going?” Laren whispered, her grip on my arm tightening.

“There’s a hidden exit,” I murmured back. “We’re almost there.”

A lie, but one I hoped would keep her moving. The truth was, I had no idea how much further we had to go. The maze-like layout of the sublevel made navigation a challenge, even with my intimate knowledge of every corridor and chamber.

We crept forward, every shadow a potential threat. The hum of machinery grew louder as we descended deeper into thebowels of the structure. The air grew thick and stale, carrying the faint scent of ozone and decaying metal.

Laren’s breathing became more labored, her steps more uncertain. I could feel her anxiety rising, threatening to overwhelm her.

“I can’t,” she gasped, suddenly stopping. “I can’t do this.”

“Yes, you can,” I insisted, tugging gently on her arm. “We have to keep moving.”

But Laren shook her head violently, pulling away from me. “No, no, no. They’ll find us. They always find us.”

Her voice rose with each word, echoing off the metal walls. I clamped my hand over her mouth, my own panic surging.

“Shh,” I hissed. “Please, Laren. We’re so close.”

Footsteps sounded in the distance, accompanied by muffled voices. My blood ran cold. They were coming.

I grabbed Laren’s hand and pulled her into a nearby alcove, praying it would be enough to conceal us. We huddled together in the darkness, hardly daring to breathe.

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