Page 12 of Rescuing Mara

“Do NOT lose it, Mara,” she commands. “You must also make sure to use it at the right time. It can only be used once. When you have activated it, it cannot be undone. There is no communication possible because that would certainly be seen by their sensors. They cannot know we are coming.”

My fingers form a fist around the device as I put it in my pocket. I give her an obedient nod. “You have my word, Ananta. I will not let you down.”

An evil grin spreads across her face, giving her toothless mouth an eerie look. “Now we have to make you look a little bit more vulnerable to ensure the Warrior will believe your sad story from the start.”

She has hardly stopped talking when two of her companions come up towards me. I feel the pain before I even see the blows coming. And they keep coming. It doesn’t take long before my entire body hurts, and it’s hard to keep my head upright.

“That’s enough, we need her conscious,” Ananta says, but it sounds as if I am underwater.

The males snicker as they hand out one last blow to my face this time, and I feel my lip splitting. After that, I hear them march away, leaving the door ajar and my body broken on the chair.

CHAPTER9

Mara

Thumping sounds startle me awake. I must have drifted off, the pain overwhelming me. It takes me a few tries to open my eyes; my head is spinning, and I hear something whizzing inside my mind. Something happened to the room as well because I am no longer facing a tiny speck of dust. Instead, I am looking at the open door from below.

The blows to my head must have been harder than I initially thought because it takes me some time to put together that I’m lying on the floor on my side. I probably fell off the chair when I briefly lost consciousness because I can’t imagine sleeping through something like that. Gritting my teeth, I push myself to a seated position. Everything hurts, and when I touch a particularly sore spot on my head, blood is covering my fingers.

Again, I hear noises in the hallway, footsteps echo on the metal floor and I quickly think of my options. I dismiss every chance of fighting back, and I don’t even know if I’m able to stand at this point, let alone fight. Running is out of the question for the same reason, so the only thing I can really do is stay here and await whatever comes because this room is empty apart from the chair I just fell off of, so there are no hiding places either.

I close my eyes and take a small breath, and I wince when my side hurts, my hands automatically coming up to stabilize it. Ananta must have had her reasons for making her two followers hurt me so much, but that awareness doesn’t make me feel any better. I prick my ears and look toward the door to see if I can estimate what will happen next. There’s nothing but silence for a nerve-racking minute. Then I hear footsteps approaching in the hallway. They have a light thread, but I can hear that there’s more than one person out there. When the door opens I look at the Warrior that has been haunting my dreams ever since I met him.

He freezes before he rushes towards me and crouches down, a horrified look on his face.

The air feels electrifying, and I seem to have lost all conscious thoughts. The only thing I am able to do is feel his nearness, and I close my eyes to revel in the warmth radiating from his body. His scent is overwhelming, fresh, and spicy… I feel the lightest touch on my cheek, and when I open my eyes, he is right in front of me.

“Zarra…” he breathes out, his voice is trembling, almost broken. “Are… Are you alright?”

I nod. I am as good as I can be. He lets out a woosh of breath, and I feel it across my face. He is so close I can barely think. Then he slowly touches my forehead with his.

“I am so sorry, and there are no excuses for leaving you behind. I would never have done it if there were other options, but I… I had to…”

I interrupt him and cup his cheek. My hand is trembling, this moment somehow feels tremendous.

“It’s okay. you’re here now.” As I look into his eyes, I can see them swirling, lights dancing and moving within. It is fascinating.

I have no idea how long we stay like this; it feels like ages, but it also seems to fly by in seconds. Then he squints his eyes and scrapes his throat. Like he was miles away and just found his way back to the here and now. He moves to stand, stretching a hand out toward me. “Come, we need to move.”

I hesitate. I know this is what Ananta wanted me to do, to go with him and play the role of his willing mate, but somehow, leaving the safety of her space hurts.

“You are safe with me, my Zarra. I promise.” The look of hope combined with insecurity in his eyes finally wins me over, and I put my hand in his. It feels small, and the contrast between my light skin and his dark gray is fascinating. I have no time to think about it though, because he carefully hoists me up. I wince, automatically pushing my hands to my side.

Pain blasts through my side as I take a tentative step, almost making my body fold in half. “I ah, I don’t think I can walk.” He curses, and murder is shooting from his eyes.

“Can I carry you? Is that alright?”

I look at him, bewildered, unable to find the words to respond. No one has ever cared enough to ask if I was truly okay.

“Do you want to carry me?” I respond, feeling slightly anxious by his offer. He frowns but nods. “Okay then.” I hold out my arms, standing still so he can lift me up.

His frown turns to a scowl. He does not look happy, which I don’t understand. After all, I’m doing exactly what he wants. I don’t move, looking at him expectantly. He cocks his head, and it seems like he is listening to someone. Only I don’t hear voices. He steps forward with a sigh and very carefully picks me up.

“We will talk about this,” he grumbles while he stalks away.

At first, I’m tense and uncomfortable in his arms. His touch is overwhelming, and his presence is all-consuming. I close my eyes, willing my body to loosen up. With a sigh, I give in, relaxing into his hold and grabbing his leather harness. My fingers graze his naked skin and toned muscles. He inhales sharply, making my heart skip a beat. Then I remember Ananta’s words, and immediately, I feel my body stiffen again, losing the bit of relaxation I had before. I cannot trust him.

I keep my eyes open as he takes me through the ship's hallway. Two more warriors walk up to us from around a corner. Fear starts coursing through my veins. Are there more of these terrifying males? They silently walk in front of us, their silence making me even more uncomfortable.

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