Page 9 of Claimed By the Drakarn Warrior Lord

I didn’t have the luxury to argue—not with them, not withhim. It wasn’t about surrender. It was about survival. Every choice I made had to balance the survival of the team against the unknown variables of what came next.

So I lifted my chin, squared my shoulders,and forced every ounce of confidence into my voice when I spoke.

“Fine,” I said, keeping it clipped, sharp, and neutral. “Just me.” He couldn't understand me, I knew, but I pointed at my chest and hoped he got the idea.

He tilted his head slightly, those brilliant golden eyes narrowing just a fraction—and for a moment, I felt the weight of his scrutiny like a burning ember pressed against raw nerve endings. Then he simply inclined his head, an almost unnervingly deliberate acknowledgment.

“Captain, you don’t have to—” Hawk started again, stepping forward.

“I do,” I cut her off again, softer this time. I didn’t look at her—not because I didn’t care, but because meeting her eyes would only crack the carefully constructed weight of authority I was clinging to right now. “Stay with the others. Watch. Listen. Andwait.”

The last word was for all of them, though it hung heavier on Hawk’s shoulders than mine. Her jaw tightened visibly, but she nodded ever so slightly. I knew her well enough to sense the storm she was holding back.

Drawing one deep, steadying breath, I steppedtoward the massive alien looming near the chamber’s entrance. My legs were steady, though every instinct screamed at me to stop, to fight.

But I couldn’t. Not yet.

His gaze burned over me, intense and searing as molten fire, as he turned and led me wordlessly out into the dim glow of the underground city.

FOUR

TERRA

The alien—my alien, I guess—said something quietly to the others. Despite my translator, I couldn't pick up on it. I just had to hope he wasn't telling them to do anything nasty towards my team.

If they got hurt, I'd never forgive myself.

I followed my alien through winding caverns that towered high overhead, high enough that some of the aliens were flying rather than walking.

The cavern was so high it was almost possible to forget we were in a cave.

We walked through a courtyard where aliens fought and drilled. It was strange that it was so bright even though we were underground. High above, there were breaks in the ceiling, allowing light in.

He led me to a building and opened a door. Istepped into a room, my boots scraping lightly against the smooth stone floor as the door groaned shut behind me. The sound was final, a low, resonant thud that ricocheted through my chest.

I didn’t flinch—wouldn’t let myself—but it took effort. I breathed deep, but it didn’t push out the taut, simmering unease curling under my ribs.

The first thing I noticed was the heat. Not stifling or oppressive like the planet's surface, but a different kind of warmth, radiating in waves as if the room pulsed with life. Crystals embedded in the walls glowed faintly, their golden and red hues shifting like flickering embers. They bathed everything in a soft, otherworldly glow, making the space feel both cavernous and intimate.

He stepped into my peripheral vision, and I held my ground. His movements were purposeful, a predator’s grace that drew my eyes against my will. The leather-like material of the fitted armor over his dark scales caught the light, and my fingers ached to touch.

Stupid, traitorous fingers.

His wings shifted subtly, brushing the edges of the room as if claiming the space, and by extension, me.

Focus,Terra.

“Darrokar,” he said, his voice a low rumble that commanded attention. He pointed at his chest, his sharp, clawed hand resting there for a beat before he locked his golden eyes on mine. I felt the gravity of his presence pull at me, like standing too close to the edge of a cliff.

Two could play that game. I straightened, a thin smile carving across my face—unflinching, even though my pulse pounded against my ribs. I pointed at myself. “Terra,” I told him evenly, my voice steady despite the low hum of apprehension under my skin.

His head tilted, just slightly, as he studied me. The sharp contours of his face softened for a moment, some flicker of recognition crossing his features. It faded quickly, replaced by the same unreadable expression that had unsettled me earlier.

“Terra,” he echoed, voice rolling over the syllables like thunder. The way he said it felt unfamiliar, yetright, and I actively tamped down the strange heat unfurling in my chest.

Pull it together, soldier.

Satisfied, he turned away and gestured toward the far side of the room, where steam drifted lazily from the surface of a massive stone tub set into the floor. Water—not moltenrock or some alien equivalent—but clear, bubbling water filled it, the surface shimmering faintly in the light.

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