Page 55 of Alien Prince Fake Fiancé

A wave of terror crashed over her as his words ignited a compulsion within her. Before she could resist, her legs moved on their own accord, carrying her unerringly toward Bone Crusher. Panic surged through her veins, her mind screaming to stop, but her body refused to listen, the chains of obedience around her ankles taking away her ability to control her own body.

A collective gasp from the crowd made Zade turn. His voice cut through the noise as he saw Ashlyn running toward the Dark One. He broke into a sprint, racing toward her with desperation, but she was almost to the foul creature. “Ashlyn! No!” he screamed.

Tears streamed down Ashlyn's face as she neared the terrifying creature. She could feel the Dark One’s malevolent presence grow stronger as she neared, a cold, suffocating weight in her mind that threatened to engulf her. His eyes locked onto her, a predatory gleam shining within their depths as he lifted one clawed hand from his prisoner’s body and brought it down in a death blow.

Zade threw himself in front of her, taking the full force of the strike. The sickening sound of flesh tearing filled the air as Bone Crusher’s claws ripped into Zade’s side. He collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from the deep gashes.

A horrified scream tore from her throat, breaking her out of C’Nar’s compulsion. She fell to her knees beside Zade. His breathing was shallow, his eyes closed. "Zade, no!" she sobbed, her hands trembling as she pressed them to his wounds, her fingers slick with his blood. She could feel the warmth of his life slipping away.

Bone Crusher roared, his fury shaking the arena. "Give me the Lumerians, or I will kill your precious commander andeveryone else who stands in my way!" His telepathic threat reverberated through their minds, a dark promise of death and destruction.

Councilor Dur’vok stepped forward, his face ashen. "There are no Lumerians!” he insisted, his voice unsteady. “They are all gone!"

“I see your thoughts, bloodsack.” Bone Crusher’s eyes blazed with uncontrolled rage as he jabbed his claws deeper into Commander Bashall, who let out a tortured scream. The crowd gasped; horror etched on every face. “You lie to me. Bring the Lumerians or suffer the same fate.”

Alarms continued to blare, the high-pitched sound grating against Ashlyn’s ears. She went numb as she used every bit of strength she possessed to pull Zade out of the Dark One’s reach while he was distracted by Councilor Dur’vok.

Once she was sure they were a safe distance away, she dropped down and pressed her hands to Zade’s wounds, tried to stop the bleeding as her mind reeled from the shock of Zade's injury and the terror of Bone Crusher’s presence.

Blood pooled around Zade, staining the ground dark red as Bone Crusher’s claws twitched, malevolent glee radiating outward. "This is your last chance," he growled at Councilor Dur’vok, then lifted his face to scan the remaining Councilors. "Give me the Lumerians!”

Zade’s eyes opened briefly, his gaze locking onto hers. "Shenga," he whispered, his voice weak.

Ashlyn’s heart shattered, fear and desperation clawing at her. “I love you, Zade,” she choked out, tears streaming down her face, blurring her vision. The truth of her words struck her with overwhelming force, hit her like a physical blow. She loved him. Truly, deeply loved him. And now, she was on the brink of losing him.

Bone Crusher sneered, his gaze sweeping the terrified crowd. “You have until nightfall,” he declared. With a final, contemptuous glance, he vanished, leaving the arena in stunned silence.

Ashlyn remained with Zade, her hands pressed to his wounds as he lost consciousness. The crowd was frozen, the shock of what had just occurred holding them in place. The faint murmurs of disbelief, the rustle of movement as people began to process the horror they had just witnessed, was slow to reach her ears.

"I’m so sorry," Ashlyn whispered, her voice breaking. Guilt was a crushing weight on her chest, suffocating her. She sobbed, her tears falling onto his bloodstained skin. “Why did you do that? I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop! I’m so sorry!”

The arena was a blur of motion around her as medics rushed in, but all she could see was Zade, his life hanging by a thread. The sound of the alarms faded into the background, replaced by the frantic beating of her heart and the overwhelming fear that she would lose him forever.

Ashlyn’s heart pounded with fear and desperation. "Please, Zade, stay with me," she begged, her voice barely a whisper as her tears mingled with his blood. "I can’t lose you. Not now."

The medics gently but swiftly moved her aside, working to stabilize him as best they could. Ashlyn watched, feeling utterly helpless, as they applied pressure to his wounds and administered emergency treatments. She could hear their urgent voices, the clinical terms and instructions, but none of it registered. All she could focus on was Zade, his life slipping through her fingers like sand through the hourglass.

The medics prepared to transport Zade to the medical bay, their faces grim. She followed, her heart heavy with grief and despair. She couldn’t lose him. Not like this. Not when she had just realized how much he meant to her.

The arena faded into the background as she raced alongside the medics, her eyes never leaving Zade’s pale, still form. She whispered a silent prayer, hoping against hope that he would pull through.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

On Board The Reaper

Ashlyn stoodat Zade’s bedside, her heart pounding like a relentless drum against her ribcage. The sterile smell of antiseptic and the soft hum of alien machinery filled the room, but her focus was on Zade. Her throat tightened as the medics hovered over him, their advanced alien technology working to heal his mortal wounds.

The Caldorian healers worked with speed and precision. One waved a cylindrical device over Zade's body, the tool emitting a soft blue light that scanned and repaired tissue at a microscopic level, while the other adjusted an intravenous line that dripped a translucent blue fluid called maju water, into Zade’s veins.

She knew maju water accelerated cellular regeneration, and within a few minutes all traces of injury disappeared. Despite his healed body, Zade remained unconscious as the hours passed, his chiseled features pale and unmoving. Medics came and went, trying everything they knew to wake him. Each time they left, unsuccessful, her heart sank a little more.

She knew enough about Caldorian physiology to recognize that, by all rights, he should be awake by now, so why wasn’t he? Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. Was he in a coma?

Next to Zade’s bed, opposite Ashlyn, a tall, imposing male warrior materialized out of thin air. His skin was a deep, rich brown with patterns of opalescent blue whorls and swirls tracing his muscles and veins. His eyes, a piercing shade of silver, studied her with an intensity that made her breath catch.

He wore armor; a silver camouflage pattern that flickered in and out of sight like a sputtering candle. On his back, a rune covered sword and scabbard shimmered and swirled with silver and black smoke, a mixture of solid and liquid metals. The runes, if one could call them that, appeared alien and incredibly old. The hilt was worn smooth with use, and a clear crystal was embedded in the pommel.

Oh my god. He’s a Lumerian Knight?

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