Page 14 of Claimed By the Drakarn Warrior Lord

I clenched my jaw against the wave of unease that followed.

Focus, Terra. Find your team.

I wasn't sure what we were going to do after that. It wasn't like we could repair our ship and go home, but I refused to remain a prisoner if there was anything I could do to fight back.

The buzz ofvoices around me rose and fell in smooth rhythmic tones, words trading quick ownership between merchants and customers, guards and warriors, but the meaning filtered into my understanding with startling clarity. It was almost scary how smoothly my translator worked.

“What's that thing?” a rough voice murmured nearby, low but sharp enough to cut through my thoughts.

I shifted subtly to glance at the source: two Drakarn warriors standing at a corner, their wings partially unfurled as though asserting dominance even in casual conversation. One of them tilted his head my way, just slightly, and I cursed silently.

“I've never seen anything like it,” his companion said. “Who captured her? She isn't marked.” There was an undertone of satisfaction that shot ice up my spine.

Just as the first warrior’s eyes met mine, I stepped behind a passing merchant cart loaded with cloths and tools.Remain calm. Keep moving.

I ducked down an adjoining path, the atmosphere darkening with every step. The path sloped downward, leading me into a narrower corridor lit only by faint, intermittent glows from embedded crystals high above.

The din of the thoroughfare softened intoechoes, each step magnified in the enclosing walls. A mistake. I knew it almost immediately. I should’ve stayed in the open, however dangerous, rather than isolate myself in this predator’s tunnel where sound carried but there was no easy road to escape if I was cornered.

A second footfall—definitely not mine—echoed faintly behind me.

I didn’t react, forcing my heartbeat to steady even as adrenaline spiked painfully through my veins. Years of training distilled into each step, light and deliberate, drawing him closer without betraying my awareness.

If you run, you’ll be prey.

The sound of claws scraping lightly against stone rippled down my spine. Guttural laughter followed, bouncing off the walls around me—a low, sinister chuckle that spoke of confidence, power, and the kind of cruelty that was clear despite the galactic distance.

I pivoted sharply, my fists already curling as I planted my feet. The Drakarn male—a hulking figure with slate-gray scales streaked in gold and crimson—saw my movement and paused just long enough to flash a smile that showedtoo many rows of jagged teeth.

“You shouldn’t roam alone, little one,” he said, his words rolling over me. The confidence in his tone made my skin prickle.

I straightened, letting my stance widen slightly. “I don't want trouble,” I said, as if this were home; as if he could understand me.

The amusement in his gaze deepened. He unfurled his wings slowly, the leathery expanse brushing faintly against the walls of the corridor. “It gibbers.” He stalked closer, each step deliberate. “You've strayed far, creature. Mine to take.”

Take. The word hung in the air between us.

He lunged.

I pivoted on instinct, the move fast and sharp enough to sidestep him as his claws sliced through empty air. My fist shot out—fast and unforgiving—and collided with the side of his jaw. His scales absorbed the blow with far less impact than I hoped, but it was enough to stagger him for half a second.

Damn, that hurt my hand.

I couldn’t hesitate. My heel slammed into the side of his knee, forcing his weight down, and I darted backward, aiming for distance.

He recovered too quickly. Wings moving like weapons in their own right, folding toward me as he surged upward in a flurry of movement.His claws caught the edge of my garment, tearing fabric as I twisted out of his grasp.

There was no way I could outmatch him in terms of strength. I had to be faster, smarter. My body moved on autopilot, muscle memory from years of training guiding me as I rolled beneath his second strike, the heat of his breath brushing my shoulder as I narrowly avoided his grip.

Pivot. Duck. Strike.

But his relentless speed sliced away any advantage I might have found. The narrow corridor funneled his larger frame directly toward me. He was built for this—pure, unyielding, ruthless. His claws slashed the air where I’d just been, close enough to stir the fine hairs on the back of my neck. I twisted away, only to have his tail snap outward, knocking my legs from under me. I hit the ground hard, air forced from my lungs in a sharp gasp.

Before I could recover, he was on me.

“So sweet, little morsel,” he snarled, his voice as heavy and cloying as the heat pressing down on us. His claws dug into the stone on either side of me, trapping me between him and the coarse ground. His wings arched wide, cutting off the faint light above, bathing us both in shadow. “And I’ll enjoy every?—”

I bucked upward, slamming my knee into hisside. It wasn’t much, but it made him grunt and shift his weight just enough for me to twist free—almost. His claws snatched at my wrist, his grip unrelenting as I struggled to wrench myself loose. I lashed out with my free hand, drove the edge of my palm toward his jaw, but he dodged it, the motion fluid, snake-like.

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