Page 52 of Alien Prince Fake Fiancé

On top of the cage, the giant mother viderbeast reared up on its hind legs and sprayed venom at Zade, forcing him to scramble out of the way.

Shit. Did Zade see the baby? Did he know he was fighting two of them now?

Ashlyn looked up at the Councilors’ seats to find C’Nar’s menacing stare locked on her, the sadistic smile on his face one of pure evil.

He knew. He knew the viderbeast was carrying a baby around, kangaroo style! Knew when the mother was in trouble, the baby would emerge and turn the tide!

Shaking with rage, her knuckles turned white as she gripped her gun tighter.Cheater! Liar! Fucking asshole!

The large viderbeast jumped from the top of the cage to land within striking distance of Zade.

Zade hit the creature with his flamethrower. The beast didn’t even slow down.

With a curse that made the crowd roar with bloodlust, Zade tossed the flamethrower aside and drew his sword to block a long, black leg that swung at his head.

On the ground, the baby slipped silently across the floor like a phantom. Soon, it would be behind Zade. Even though the baby was significantly smaller than its mother, its mouth was big enough to take Zade’s leg out from under him. Or bite off his head.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What should I do? What can I do?

Zade had instructed her to stay out of the fight, out of his way, but she couldn’t just sit and watch him get killed.

Zade’s first warning that something was amiss came from the sudden roar of the crowd. Instinctively, his gaze darted toward Ashlyn to make sure she was still safe on the other side of the arena.

Except she wasn’t. She ran across the open space and leaped onto the side of the metal cage. Stunned, Zade watched her sprint, not farther from the fight as he'd expected, but straight into danger. If the grisly creature saw her, it would launch itself at her and he would be unable to reach her in time to save her.

Distracted, Zade didn't notice the viderbeast dart forward, its pincers slicing through his tunic, drawing blood. Ignoring the pain, he refocused on the one act that could keep Ashlyn safe. Adrenaline pumped through his veins like wildfire, givinghim the extra strength and speed needed to execute a swift downward cut with his sword.

A trickle of blood stuck to his tunic as one of the creature’s pincers fell to the floor with a thud.

Green liquid spurted from the creature’s face in time to its heartbeat. He’d struck an artery.

Zade's relief was short-lived as the viderbeast lifted its head and screamed, the sound worse than metal scraping metal, a primal shriek of rage and pain.

“Zade!” Ashlyn screamed his name from her perch atop the cage, her heart in her throat. “Run!”

She lifted the crossbow he had given her with deadly purpose and fired directly at him.

He dove for the ground as the bolt flew past, slightly off to his left.

He turned his head just in time to watch the bolt hit the ground in front of a second viderbeast, a yearling, judging by its size, and so close to him the hot blast wave shoved his body several feet back.

He rolled to his feet and shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears, the viderbeast’s deadly feet striking the ground where he’d been seconds ago.

Fulack!He hadn’t seen the yearling. Ashlyn had just saved his life.

“Run!” Ashlyn yelled again, her delicate form perfectly balanced on top of the cage’s metal beams as she moved with an agility and grace that shocked him.

She lifted the crossbow and took aim, a second bolt screaming through the air to lodge in the adult viderbeast’s side.

The resulting explosion sent gore spewing over his head. Seconds later, chunks of its flesh splattered the floor around him, pelting him with green goo.

The giant creature shrieked, diving toward his position.

Fulack!

He twisted to the side, barely escaping disembowelment by the creature's pincer-like jaws, only to see the smaller one racing toward the cage, quick and uninjured, toward Ashlyn.

“No!” With strength born of desperation, he charged the large viderbeast, dodged the snapping teeth and pincers and darted under the vulnerable, segmented body. Sword raised, he roared with rage and determination as he sliced the creature open from neck to midsection.

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