Page 32 of Cherished By the Alien Outlaw

It was all I could do to keep from letting panic take hold.

With a groan, the cell door swung open. Brax still lay on the stone, but his tail shifted, rising to slap back down on the floor.

Firion crouched next to him, shaking his shoulder. “Brax, come on. We’re getting out of here.”

Brax stirred, groaning as he blinked up at Firion. His hand moved to his head, touching a swollen spot where one of the guards had hit him. His fingers trembled as he pushed himself up to sit and stand, his legs unsteady beneath him. His tail plunged to the floor and stayed there to give him better balance.

“Which way?” Firion hissed.

“Go out through the other door. Take the stairs to the bottom,” Brax said.

Stepping into the hallway, Firion guided Brax with careful movements, and I shadowed them, my senses sharp for any sign of danger.

The metal key felt warm and heavy in my hand. I glanced back at the other prisoners, their eyes begging, their hands clawing through the bars as they whispered, “Please, don’t leave us here.”

We were only partway down the hall when Brax stopped. He braced himself on a cell and turned back. “I’m not leaving.” The strength in his voice stunned me. Not long ago, I thought he was dead. Now he looked ready to take on all the guards at once and come up the victor.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Firion said.

“You two go.” Brax held out his hand for the key, and I gave it to him. “I'm releasing the others, and we're taking over the mine. Only then will I find revenge for them killing my mate.”

“I'll help you,” Firion said grimly. This was our out. We could leave, but like Firion, I would stay and fight if it would help the others. They didn’t deserve this any more than us.

The three who'd notified the guards could remain in their cells, but the others deserved a chance to escape or make things better.

Brax braced Firion's shoulders and stared into his eyes. “You need to leave and take your mate with you. I’ll handle this.”

“How?” Firion asked. “You can’t do it alone.”

“I won’t be alone.” Brax’s gaze swept down the hall. “I have friends here, and I have a plan.” Brax's lips peeled back in a smile when he looked my way. “One day, I’ll find a new mate, and when I do, I will protect and love her as much as Firion does you.”

“We want to help you,” I said.

He shook his head. “Go. I ask this of you with my whole heart. This is for me and my friends to handle, not a Zuldruxian and his fragile mate.”

“I'm stronger than I look,” I said. Strong for a human. Compared to a Veerenad? I could see his point.

“I'm sure you are.” He flashed me another smile. “But I ask you to do this for me instead. Leave. Find safety. Live a long, happy life together.”

“Alright,” Firion said as the clamber rose around us. The three were banging on their metal door again and the guards would arrive in seconds.

“That way.” Brax tilted his head to the opposite side of the hall. “When you reach the large cavern, take the passage on the far right. It leads to the processing center where you should find a way out into the desert. Be safe my friends. Be well.” A bellow rose up his throat, and he raced down the hall and started releasing the other prisoners.

We’d opened the door and had started down the stairwell when cries erupted behind us. A glance back showed only a few guards streaming into the hallway. Were the others detained with the dignitary?

Brax and the other prisoners met up with them, quickly overwhelming the guards.

With a wave to us, Brax and his friends rushed through the other door and into the center of the mining operation.

Chapter 16

Firion

Night fell even here, deep below the ground, the glow of insects overhead dimming as they rested. Shadows took the place of the light, the stairwell seeming to narrow, pressing in with a chill that sunk into the bones. Each step down carried us deeper beneath the earth.

I kept my stone knife tight in my hand. There was nothing I wouldn’t do to protect my mate.

Talia's breathing was ragged at my side, each exhale echoing in the darkness.

---