Page 67 of Alien Prince Fake Fiancé

No!

No!

No!

Ashlyn! No!

Zade drew in a deep, ragged breath and opened his eyes. Silver mist swirled around him. Electricity held him in a death grip several feet in the air. What was happening? Where was he?Ashlyn! Shenga!

She loved him. All of him. He’d felt it. Experienced it for himself. She felt as he did. After everything he’d done, she still loved him. She was also afraid of losing him.

He fought to free himself from the electricity, fought to get to her, to reach her. She, too, was held prisoner by an energy field linked to the glowing sword below. Even through the lightning fast electricity whipping around her, he could see that one arm was lit with the most beautiful markings he’d ever seen. The pattern was far more delicate and feminine than his and seemed to be part of her skin rather than raised like his own. Herssparkled and glowed with an otherworldly aura he’d never seen before. She was magnificent.

He struggled to roll onto his side. Every inch of progress he made, the electrical field grew stronger, pain radiating through every cell in his body. Every hair stood on end as the current traveled through him and back to the sword. He was weak. Numbing pain, tingling, buzzing, stabbing sensations hit him in ceaseless waves. There was nothing he could do but endure. He had to get to Ashlyn. With inhuman strength, he pushed through the electrical cage holding him prisoner.

Strangely, almost as if alive, the electrical fingers drew them closer together. He raised his arm, struggling to reach through the barrier holding Ashlyn in the other half of the infinity loop. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he pushed one hand through and captured hers.

As soon as their hands were linked, the electricity weaving around them changed, shifted, transformed into one swirling mass instead of two.

He drew her into his arms, chest to chest. His heart overflowed with love for her.

He held her closer. He was supposed to do something. Find something for her.No. Not for her. I’m supposed to findher.

Fear seized him. He couldn’t lose her. She was his everything. His reason for existing. “Shenga, I don’t know how you did it, but you found me. I was lost in the veil. Now it is my turn. Hear me,shenga. Feel my love. Follow my voice. Wherever you go, I will follow. Choose for us, my love. I will never leave you. Everything that I am, I give to you. I am forever yours,” he vowed.

Ashlyn turned her head.She’d been talking to Bren. Something was horribly wrong. Where was Ashlyn?

There, across the arena, Ashlyn saw herself running toward the Dark One. Alarm slammed into her gut. Terror unlike anything she’d ever known gripped her heart. She broke into a cold sweat, fear choking her throat.

She ran as fast as she could, much faster than she thought possible, desperate to reach her before it was too late. She had to reach Ashlyn. The Dark One would kill her. Her chest tightened painfully. She was going to be too late. “Ashlyn! No!” she screamed, fear choking off her airway.

Ashlyn shook her head to dispel her confusion. How could she be running toward herself? A ghost version of herself? What was happening?

She pushed herself harder, forced her legs to go faster, dismissed the strange sense of déjà vu, her mind zeroing in on the danger. She had to focus. Nothing else mattered. Only Ashlyn. She had to get to Ashlyn. She was her everything. By the gods, she could not live without her.Ashlyn! No! No! Stop! Stop!

The Dark One drew back one hand, ready to strike. She could see the malevolence shining in its eyes. It wanted to kill. That was what Dark Ones lived for. Death. Destruction.They were the ultimate predators. No conscience. No mercy.I’ll die before I let you touch her!

Ashlyn pushed herself the last few feet, diving in front of ghost Ashlyn. There was no time to fight. No time. She would not survive the blow that was coming.

She accepted her fate. Embraced it. Ashlyn had to live. There was no other choice for her. Nothing else mattered. Only Ashlyn.

Pain burst through her side as the Dark One’s claws sliced through her uniform like a hot smelting iron through silk. Agony stole her breath and took her to the ground.

Ghost Ashlyn fell to her knees. "Zade, no!"

Ashlyn tried to get up, tried to be strong. She was losing too much blood.Too fast. Too fast. Have to tell her. Tell her. Love. Love forever. Worth everything.

She forced her eyes to open. Ghost Ashlyn was crying, trying to stop the blood. Ashlyn knew the effort was futile. She was slipping. She needed ghost Ashlyn to know. "Shenga.”

Ghost Ashlyn wanted her to hang on. She would try. Try for hershenga.Stasis. Only chance. Have to try.

She spent the last of her energy. She had to focus.Stasis. Dangerous. Try. Clear mind. Clear. Mind.

Clear...

She took one last shuddering breath.

Ashlyn floated in the mist. Someone was talking to her. She strained to hear the words. They were faint. Far away. ‘Feel my love. Follow my voice. Wherever you go, I will follow. Choose for us, my love. I will never leave you. Everything that I am, I give to you. I am forever yours.’

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