Page 2 of His Clever Captive

I’m frozen in place as a blur of iridescent feathers rushes toward me, before cool, leathery hands bundle me into what’s left of the shredded sheet.

“Hold tight, starling,” he chirps, tossing me over his shoulder. His voice is sing-songy, but his firm grip tells me he means business.

The room tilts.

"What—what's happening?" I manage to stutter. Shock must be the reason I’m not screaming. Or this odd calm that feels like it’s seeping into my skin.

Alarms begin to blare and the sounds of laser fire erupts behind the door. The reptile woman hisses orders, her tail smacking a control panel on the wall. The door opens and seals shut after we’ve gone through.

The four-armed alien bellows a war cry as all of us move forward into the corridor. We’re thrown into a chaotic world of alien sounds, flashing lights, and the acrid smell of smoke.

It’s then that I spot…him.

Gold skin gleaming, electric violet eyes as bright as neon signs, and long hair flying around him. He moves like a dancer—pure lethal grace—as he disarms one of Gruzzik’s guards with a flick of his wrist, then slices into another with a hot blade…complete with the most sinful smirk on his lips.

Focus, Lacey. He’s some sort of space pirate!

But my god, he’s…all chiseled muscles, golden hair, tall elven ears…andshiny!

My ribs jostle against my ride’s shoulder as we bolt through the chaos. “Nearly there, little flutter,” he laughs, ducking a laser blast.

“You can put me down. I can run,” I wheeze.

“And risk Vex skinning me alive? Sorry, no way.”

Vex? Vex who?

We skid into a hangar, where a small ship hums near a docking bay, ramp lowered.

Four Arms and Reptile Woman(I’m guessing she’s female now that I’ve seen a glimpse of breasts and eyelashes)sprint behind us, weapons blazing.

The gold alien brings up the rear, firing a blaster over his shoulder. His laugh curls through the fiery mist. “Thought you’d be slower with that treasure, Af’soq!”

“Try keepin’ up, pretty boy!” My tranporter shoots back, as Four Arms lobs a shiny metal ball into the space behind us.

An explosion rattles my teeth, as my ride leaps onto the ramp, placing me onto a bench seat inside the ship. The sheet slips again and I yelp, snatching it up as we lurch.

Am I...rescued? Kidnapped again?

Another alien waits at the controls near the front, bioluminescent skin pulsing a calm blue. “Hurry,” he calls out and the gold alien strides in at last, the ramp sealing behind him.

“Get us out of here, Nor’Veth!” he calls back, and I feel the ship swing around.

Then the gold guy sees me. He walks up to me, confident, almost regal, as his gaze locks onto mine.

For a moment, we just stare.

But finally, I’m able to swallow. Hard. He really is attractive. Okay,hot, there’s no denying it.

His violet eyes dip down, raking over my bare shoulders, and lower to the fabric barely covering my chest.

A slow, roguish grin spreads over his mouth. “Exquisite,” he purrs, voice deep and velvety. The casual way he says it makes it seem like a cocktail party instead of in the midst of a space battle.

Heat floods my neck and cheeks and my traitorous heart races. I feel exposed beneath his scrutiny, but there’s a certain thrill in it…and a strange, inexplicable longing.

Four Arms comes over and claps the gold guy’s back, nearly knocking him into me. “You sure we can’t sell ‘er outright?”

Sell me?!

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