Page 64 of Alien Prince Fake Fiancé

“He would do it for me, though. He already has.”

“My son may seem hard and unfeeling at times, even bullheaded in pursuit of his goals, but if he loves someone, he’ll go to the ends of the known universe to give them whatever they ask for, follow wherever they go, walk through endless fire for them.”

“Like the shenga,” Ashlyn whispered, her throat too tight with emotion to speak any louder. “He threw himself in front of that monster to give me a chance to escape.”

Surprise flashed across Liara’s face. “He told you about the shenga?”

“He sort of gave me that nickname, so I made him tell me what it meant.”

Liara dabbed her eyes with a small cloth Ashlyn hadn’t noticed she was holding. “I used to tell him the story of when he was just a little boy, four or five years old. Over and over, he never tired of hearing it. He vowed that one day he would find a shengaof his own. I, of course, secretly hoped he wouldn’t. They're quite vicious, you know. Extremely dangerous to anyone it doesn't love and trust.”

A sense of calm stole over Ashlyn. “Thank you for sharing that story. I’ve been so confused. Would you mind if I took a few minutes to myself before going back to the other room? It’s so hard seeing him like that."

Liara patted her hand kindly. “Of course.”

As soon as Liara was gone, Ashlyn slipped out of the room, racing toward the foyer. With fumbling, jerky motions, she yanked on her snowsuit, mask and goggles, as quickly as she could, then opened the outside door. She knew her sister would try to stop her, to protect her, but she couldn't let that happen. Not now. She’d made her decision.

The cold night air hit her like a wall of ice as she ran outside. A path was illuminated by glowing crystals embedded in the ground, guiding her steps behind the house and out toward a large, dense grove of flowering fruit trees. Not stopping to wonder how the delicate blooms could survive in such harsh conditions, she followed the path through the trees until she came to a domed, cave-like tunnel with alien markings etched around the entrance. Clearly the dome was man-made, with regularly spaced skylights to let in the natural light. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and stepped inside.

At once, the temperature increased from frigid to chilled. The compact snow and ice gave way to bare rock and gravel under her boots as she went deeper in, her heart pounding in her chest. The air became more humid as she descended, laden with the perfume of thousands of blooms on the trees.This has to be the way to the sacred pool.

Nestled in between a dozen or so mature trees, partially hidden by a curtain of intertwined branches and vines, was a large pond. She pushed through the vegetation, her breath catching as the morning light shone down into the area, reflecting a swirling vortex of colors, the water shimmering like a huge, liquid prism, heavy with the scent of something she couldn’t quite define.

She froze for a moment, immobilized by the fear clawing at her insides. She thought of Sasha, of the pain her friend had endured, and of Zade. His smile, his laughter, the way he looked at her as if she were the only person in the universe. The waythey argued. The way he set her on fire. The way he’d refused to give up on her. On them.I’ll never give up on you, either, my love. Hold on a little longer. I’m coming.

Taking a deep, calming breath, she exhaled slowly, shed her clothes, her body instantly shivering in the cold, and entered the water. She expected it to be as cold as the air. The pool was as warm as a hot bath, like a natural hot spring back home, soothing, but she knew the pain would come.

She stepped deeper into the pool, not stopping until she was submerged up to her shoulders. Her toes began to tingle, followed by her legs. The tingling spread to every part of her as the microbes began to burrow under her skin. The tingle quickly intensified into a stabbing sensation. Cramping with pain, she sank to the bottom, curled up in the fetal position. The agony was unbearable, sharp and unrelenting. She gritted her teeth and held on, thankful she’d left the mask and goggles on, the air filtration system working even submerged in the water. Drowning, at least, would not be the cause of her death.

Her vision blurred, she jerked as though a bomb detonated inside her, every cell rupturing, torn apart and remade. She screamed. Burning ice and scorching heat, every tortured nerve ending raw and angry, stabbed at her. Death would have been kinder, the pain so excruciating, but she held on for Zade, for their love. He’d become her anchor. Her reason for being.

Time seemed to stretch and warp, each second an eternity of suffering. Markings formed under her skin, pushing through to the surface, intricate patterns glowing with an otherworldly light below the water. She fought to stay conscious, to remain in control. She was Zade’s only hope.

Her battered limbs became too heavy, too weak to resist what was happening. There was no escape. Disoriented, dizzy, she gave in to the pain, accepted it, her body losing all tension as she let it flow through her.

Her mind grew strangely numb.

She closed her eyes.

She was at peace.

Death had come for her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Ashlyn

Suddenly,an arm grabbed her from behind, wrapped just below her breasts under her armpits, and pulled her to the surface.

“Hold on, Ashlyn. Hold on.” Bren swam with her to the edge of the small pond until he could stand, then carefully lifted her out of the water.

He ran as fast as he could back to the house, pushing himself harder than he ever had before.

Shouting for help as he approached the back door, he whisked her into the warm interior, not stopping until he could lay her down next to Zade’s still form.

“Oh, no!” Rachel cried out, rushing to her side. “What have you done?”

Liara grabbed blankets from another room and tucked them around Ashlyn, carefully removing her mask and goggles. “She went to the sacred pool. I should have known what she was going to do when she asked me to leave her alone. I will never forgive myself.”

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