Page 16 of Rescued By the Alien Acolyte

He takes a deep breath, and I can see the effort it takes for him to continue. “I was just a child, an orphan, when my uncle sold me to the Nexus. They promised salvation, purpose.Instead, they broke me, remade me into their weapon.” His voice hardens. “But you… you reminded me of who I was before. Of the child who dreamed of the stars, not of inflicting pain.”

His fingers trace the outline of my brand, featherlight. “The Nexus must fall,” he says, his voice filled with grim determination. “Not just for what they did to you, but for all the lives they’ve destroyed. For the child I was, and for every other innocent they’ve twisted to their cause.”

I feel a lump in my throat, overwhelmed by the raw emotion in his voice. “We’ll bring them down,” I promise. “Together.”

Finzar nods, his eyes blazing with a fierce light. “Together,” he agrees. “I’ve spent years as their blade. Now, I’ll be the knife at their throat and I’ll paint the desert red with their blood if that’s what it takes.”

His words should terrify me, but instead, they send a thrill through my body. I reach out, cupping his face in my hand. “Thank you,” I whisper, the words feeling inadequate for the depth of my gratitude. “You could have left me in there, but you didn’t. I’ll never forget what you sacrificed for me.”

Our eyes lock, and suddenly the air between us feels charged. My pulse races as his gaze rakes over my body, taking in every inch of me. A low growl rumbles in his chest, a primal sound of desire. Without thinking, I lean in, our lips meeting in a fiery kiss.

As his lips claim mine, his hands grip my waist, pulling me against him. The kiss is hungry, urgent. His fangs scrape my lower lip, drawing blood. I gasp at the sharp pain, but it only intensifies the fire coursing through my veins.

He lifts me easily, and I wrap my legs around his waist, the pain of my injuries a distant memory. I can feel the hard planes of his muscles beneath my fingers, and it only makes me want him more. He sets me on the counter, his hands roaming over my body as he devours me with his kisses.

His lips find the sensitive spot below my ear, and I moan, my body responding to his touch. He growls again; the sound vibrating against my skin. His teeth nip at my delicate flesh, and the slight pain only heightens the pleasure. As his lips explore my neck, his hands move lower, deftly undoing the ties of my robe.

The basement door crashes open with a resounding bang, startling Finzar and me apart.

“Loelle! Drix! You’re back! You won’t believe the haul we—” Leera’s excited voice cuts off abruptly as she reaches the bottom of the stairs. Her iridescent antennae twitch erratically, and the sweet scent of her surprise pheromones fills the air, a clear sign of her shock.

The room freezes, the sudden silence deafening after the cacophony of their entrance. My crew stands there, a tableau of stunned faces, mouths agape. Their eyes dart between me, half-naked and covered in angry red wounds and bruises, and Finzar, his blue skin a stark contrast to the dingy surroundings. The scars that crisscross his body tell a story of their own. The horrors etched into my skin are only a fraction of what he has endured.

For a heartbeat, nobody moves. The only sound is the soft hum of the ancient air recycler struggling to keep up.

Then all hell breaks loose.

“Loelle!” Zax’r’s bellow reverberates through the small space. Our Baelarian muscle towers over the others, his four eyes narrowing dangerously as they lock onto Finzar. Each of his four massive arms tenses, rippling with barely contained fury. “Get away from her, you Nexus scum!”

Before I can react, Zax’r charges forward, all four arms reaching for Finzar. His heavy footsteps shake the floor, sending empty bottles and discarded data pads clattering. Panic surgesthrough me, and I try to leap to my feet, but the pain from my injuries slows me down.

Finzar, however, moves with lightning speed. In a blur of motion that my eyes can barely follow, he intercepts Zax’r mid-charge. Before anyone can blink, Finzar has the much larger Baelarian pinned against the wall, one hand wrapped around Zax’r’s throat with terrifying strength.

“Touch her,” Finzar growls, his voice dripping with menace, “and I’ll tear you apart.” The cold fury in his eyes makes it clear this is no idle threat.

The room falls silent once more, the air thick with tension and fear. I can hear Zax’r’s labored breathing, see the shock in my crew’s eyes. Kuran’s cybernetic eye whirs frantically, no doubt assessing the threat level. Leera’s antennae have flattened against her head, a sign of extreme distress.

I force myself to my feet, ignoring the pain that shoots through my body. Placing a hand on Finzar’s arm, I feel the coiled strength beneath his skin, ready to unleash violence at a moment’s notice. “It’s okay,” I murmur, trying to keep my voice calm and steady. “They’re friends, Finzar. My crew.”

For a moment, I’m not sure if he’ll listen. Then, slowly, Finzar releases Zax’r, who slumps against the wall, gasping for air. But Finzar doesn’t back away. His stance remains protective, positioning himself between me and the others.

“What in the desert hells is going on, Loelle?” Kuran demands, his voice a mix of confusion and anger. “You disappear after heading out on a job with Drix, and now you’re back with… with him?” His cybernetic eye focuses on Finzar, scanning him up and down.

I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of their stares. “It’s a long story,” I begin, my voice shaky. “But first I have terrible news… Drix is dead.”

The words hang in the air like a physical presence, and I watch as shock and grief wash over my crew’s faces. Leera’s hand flies to her mouth, her green skin paling to an ashen hue.

“How?” she whispers, her voice barely audible.

“Dune Marauders ambushed us,” I explain, the words feeling like shards of glass in my throat. “They blasted Drix and chased me into Crimson Ridge. I crashed, and the Nexus found me.”

As I speak, I feel Finzar’s hand on the small of my back, a gesture of support that doesn’t go unnoticed by the others. Part of me knows I should be horrified by Finzar’s behavior. But another part—a part I’m not entirely comfortable acknowledging—is thrilled by his possessiveness.

“But Finzar,” I continue, gesturing to him with our joined hands, “he saved me. He risked everything to get me out. Without him, I’d be dead or worse.”

The silence that follows is deafening. My crew’s eyes dart between Finzar and me, a myriad of emotions playing across their faces—concern, confusion, suspicion.

The silence stretches on, heavy with unspoken questions and lingering suspicion. Finally, Leera breaks the tension, her antennae twitching nervously.

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