Page 58 of Warrior's Purpose

She held her breath as they rocketed toward Earth at an ungodly speed, passing through clouds, the ground getting ever closer. If they were in a normal airplane they’d slam into the earth and die on impact. Thank God that wasn’t the case. She felt none of the G forces. The cruiser didn’t shake or rattle, although the view onscreen was intense enough. She held down her lunch as the cruiser pulled up fast and came to the stop.

Oh thank Jesus!

“Come on.”

Ash helped her out of the harness and Aculus did the same for Hope, then they hustled to the exit. As the door split open, Ash swung her up in his arms.

“Nadzia, climb onto my back.”

“You’re going to carry us?” Hope asked while gripping the bony alien’s arm.

“Yeah. We need to move fast in case we attracted attention like last time,” Aculus replied while situating Hope on his back.

“I still would like to know how the humans managed that,” Ash rumbled as Abby gripped him around the neck and they descended the ramp.

She glanced at the Cadi and Osivoire descending from the other ship while trying to get her bearings in the nature preserve.

“The zoo’s that way.” She pointed in the opposite direction of Lake Winder.

The seven of them started running along the trails winding through the preserve, heading east. Soon the trails gave way to access roads, the occasional home and businesses. It was a blessing the traffic was sparse, though no one seemed to pay them much attention. The group veered off the main route once they hit a more populated area near the highway.

She knew Ash was fast, but it still amazed her how swift he could move while saddled by her. She attempted to hold onto Ash’s neck without strangling him, her legs locked around his waist. The piggyback ride wasn’t as bumpy as she expected; Ash’s feet hardly touched the ground long enough to jar her. They just had sex, so she should’ve been satiated, and yet she couldn’t help the way her mind strayed, feeling his muscles bunch and flex.

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