Page 16 of Captured By the Alien Captain

“We’re making space.” The pink-skinned healer clears a table. “Reports came from Varrum. The human-”

Jax stiffens up at my side. For a brisk moment, I see it. Hell, anyone can sense the fear on her face if they look close enough.

I want to silence her before she can finish her sentence. It doesn’t take a genius to piece together an assumption here.

“Is she alive?” Jax asks, her voice strangely calm. I feel her fingers snake around my wrist. Her nails pierce my skin and I’m not sure if she knows she’s doing it or not.

Shinara glances in my direction before she looks at Jax when I give her a nod. Taking us both in, her mouth curves into a small smile. “She is breathing, yes. For now, anyway. However…”

I feel the sting of her hold. From the stillness of her body, I don’t believe she’s breathing.

“You could help,” Shinara offers. “We don’t know much about humans. If you were to help fill our database even slightly-”

Jax is abandoning my side without a second thought. It’s impossible to not notice the lack of heat stolen away.

“I’ll do anything for her.” Her brows lower and her jaw tightens. “However, if this is a ploy to look for our weaknesses-”

Shinara tilts her head, curious when I step forward and clamp a hand over her mouth to stop another threat of death from leaving her lips.

Jax is fond of making such threats. Just as she’s not afraid to bite me for touching her without asking.

“Don’t do that again,” she hisses under her breath.

For a moment, I’ve distracted her enough to make the fear leave her eyes. I have to say, it’s not a good look. I prefer the rage.

“We should get started. They can arrive any time now, and I want to be ready when the time comes.” Pulling some equipment into the room, Shinara urges Jax to take a seat on the table.

Pulling myself away from her side, I decide the best thing to do is give both women some space.

Jax may try to take advantage and take our head healer as a hostage if it means getting off the ship.

However, after seeing the way she reacted to the update on her sister, I don’t think I have much to worry about. Not when she’s more worried about seeing the other human again than seeking her escape.

Heading toward the door to wait on the other side, Jax calls out for me.

“Stay.”

Surprised by the command, my body listens to her demand before I realize I’ve stopped.

“No offense, but you’re the only one in here I know is in no rush to kill me.” Scoffing under her breath, she eyes the healer. “I don’t want her to get scalpel-happy.”

Something inside me shifts, something pleasant. “You trust me?”

As if she hadn’t realized it herself, her skin growls flushed. Twisting around, she sits down on the table Shinara prompts her toward. “I don’t want to kill you as much as I did before.”

The healer says nothing, working on gathering her machines. However, I feel her curious glances. She’s not used to people talking with such loose tongues when I am near.

To think this woman wants me around. I’m unfamiliar with such a satisfying sensation.

Moving so I’m out of the way, I rest against the wall. Crossing my arms against my chest, I watch as Jax peels away her jacket. Resting it at her side, I’m too focused on the exposed skin.

Her sister, though our meeting was brief, she looked quite different. Unmarked.

Jax is damaged. Scars litter her skin from many battles. Both pink and white lines wrap around her arms, some looking fresher than others.

They remind me of the very same scars that stain my skin. White lines that should not be etched into my flesh.

Hard to think about my curse when Jax is getting poked and prodded by the healer.

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