Page 8 of Cherished By the Alien Outlaw

“Us?”

“The women sent from your planet to become our mates.”

Hold on. “I’m not anyone’s mate.”

“I agree.”

Good.

His serious gaze met mine. “I’m Firion.”

“Talia.”

He nodded. “A pretty name, like you.”

“Don’t get any ideas.”

His gaze fell to my mouth. “Ideas about what?”

“Anything. You, me, mating. I’m an independentwoman with my own business, and I’m not about to become some blue alien’s baby mama.”

His frown only deepened. “The gods sent you to me to be my mate, but as for you having a baby . . . We can’t have younglings here.” He looked around the room. “Not until we’re free of this place.”

“No babies at all.”

“We can discuss this later.” He finished securing the fabric on my arm and stroked my cheek with his knuckles. “Rest. I’ll watch over you.”

Rising to his feet, he hefted what looked like the leg of a small table and glared toward bars lining the opposite wall.

“Where are we?” I croaked, not liking the hard surface I lay on that felt too much the way I imagined a prison bunk would feel, let alone the bars keeping us pinned inside a small stone room.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said softly. “Because I’m breaking us out as soon as I can.”

Chapter 5

Firion

My poor mate was sorely wounded, but the Veerenads had brought me what I needed to help her. I didn’t know why they’d placed her in my cell and not in any of the others, except they must’ve thought she was Zuldruxian. They wouldn’t know that all of us had blue skin and silver hair, that none of us looked like this human. It was clear she wasn’t like them, and only three species lived in this area of my home planet: Zuldruxians, Veerenads whose ship crashed here generations ago, and the symbiotic species many of my people called gods. The Veerenads didn’t appear to know our gods existed.

Did the Veerenads realize she was female? They may not since she didn’t share any of their species’ female characteristics, such as three pairs of small breasts along their torso, the lack of egg sacks along her thighs, and a rounder head than their males. Their frames were about the same since females battled as eagerly as males andon their home planet, they’d had to defend their young or rogue males might eat them.

Bangs echoed in the hall, and I rushed to the bars, peering out as a cluster of Veerenads pushed two carts through the wide opening. Guards? Arms stretched out toward them from the cells, and the guards smacked some and ignored the others. They stopped at each cage and shoved a tray of food and water through the small gap at the base of the door.

Worried they’d take it from me, but wanting it nearby in case I needed it, I lowered the table leg to the floor and tucked it against the barred wall of the cell.

“Last meal of the day,” the male across the way said. “Eat well because they’ll work you hard tomorrow.”

“I’m Firion. What’s your name?”

“Brax. Not that it matters.”

“Sure it does. You’re a person. Nice to meet you, Brax.”

“Nice? There’s nothing nice about this.” He sighed. “I wish I was anywhere but here.” His intent gaze met mine. “That’s not a Zuldruxian in your cell.”

“Human.”

“Haven’t heard of them yet.” His heavy gaze sought her lying so still on the bunk. “He’s sick.”

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