Page 71 of Tricked By the Alien Prince

Damn him for making me fall in love with him anyway. And damn me for realizing it now, when I’ll never get the chance to tell him.

I squeeze my eyes shut as that horrifying mouth yawns open beneath me. The stench of rot and decay makes my stomach heave. At least I’ll die knowing I tried to save my friends. That has to count for something, right? Volan had told me that my dedication to others was honorable. He’d looked at me like he had admired me. He’d made me feel for just a moment that I was more than some cowering girl, a burden to others, but someone that had true value to those around them.

“I love…” I squeak, breath squeezing from my lungs as the Tangler’s sticky tentacle wraps tighter around my chest. I just want to tell Volan how I feel, even if it’s my last words… Even if he’s not here to hear them.

A familiar roar echoes through the arena. The sound sends a shock of electricity through my veins. My eyes snap open just in time to see a gray blur leap from the upper level, spear raised high...

My first thought is that I must be hallucinating, because there’s no way Volan just launched himself from the top of the arena like some action-vid hero. But no—that’s definitely him, his skin blazing so bright it hurts to look at, leaving trails of light in the air as he descends. His spear strikes deep into the tentacle holding me, and suddenly I’m falling.

Strong arms catch me before I hit the ground. The scent of him engulfs me—warm leather and something uniquely Volan, a scent I’d know anywhere.

“You came back for me,” I breathe.

“I’ll always come for you, Maya,” he replies. Volan’s fierce eyes meet mine, his skin pulsing with an intensity I’ve never seen before. The rhythm matches my hammering heart.

My warrior came for me, in the end.

Then he’s setting me down and spinning to face the Tangler, placing himself between me and danger without hesitation.

“Protect her!” he roars. Warriors pour into the arena from all sides, responding instantly to his command. The sound of their boots hitting the sand is like rainfall. They form a ring around me, weapons raised, moving with practiced precision. When did Volan become so...commanding?

Pain shoots through my leg as I try to stand. Definitely twisted—maybe worse. But I can’t focus on that because Volan is facing down the Tangler and it’s the most terrifying and magnificent thing I’ve ever seen.

He moves like he’s dancing with death itself, dodging tentacles while his spear flashes in deadly arcs. His skin pulses with each strike, lighting up the arena like lightning.

“Drive it back!” he shouts, voice carrying over the chaos. “Keep it away from the injured!”

I watch in awe as warriors respond to his commands, working in coordinated groups to slash at the creature’s tentacles. The sound of metal cutting through flesh, the growls of warriors, the shriek of the beast—it all blends into a battle symphony.

The warriors move together, never faltering.

They engage the beast, each looking to Volan for direction. He’s not just a prince by birth—he’s a true leader.

And I see it now, so clearly—this was always who he was. A protector. A leader. He wasn’t trying to capture me; he was trying to save me in the only way he knew how. His methods were flawed, but his heart never was. How could I have ever seen his protective nature as a betrayal when it’s so clearly part of who he is?

This is what it means to have protection, to be truly protected. This is what it means to have a hero risk everything, just for you.

Zoran appears through the ring of guards, half-carrying a dazed Melvall. They collapse beside me, both breathing heavily but alive. I want to check on them, but I can’t tear my eyes away from Volan.

He’s magnificent. There’s no other word for it. The Tangler lashes out with its remaining tentacles, but Volan seems to anticipate every move. He uses the creature’s own bulk against it, letting it tangle itself as it tries to strike him. His spear finds vulnerable spots with deadly precision while he continues shouting directions to the other warriors.

“Now!” he bellows. Multiple spears strike from different angles. The Tangler rears back, its horrible mouth opening in a shriek that makes the ground beneath us vibrate—and Volan takes his shot. His spear drives deep into the creature’s throat, his luminae flaring so bright I have to shield my eyes. The flash burns through my closed eyelids, turning the world momentarily white.

The Tangler’s death throes shake the arena. Sand billows up around us in choking clouds. When the light fades and dust settles, the massive beast lies still. And Volan... Volan is already running back to me, his eyes wild with concern, his skin pulsing in time with my racing heart.

I’ve lost my tablet, my last connection to my past. But watching Volan sprint toward me through the chaos, I realize I haven’t lost everything. Maybe, just maybe, I’ve found my future instead.

ChapterThirty-Four

VOLAN

My heart nearly stops when I see Maya crumpled on the ground. She’s so small, so vulnerable, compared to the warriors surrounding her. The urge to gather her in my arms and never let go burns through me, but I have no right. Not after what I did to her.

Around us, my warriors maintain their protective circle as they deal with the remaining beasts. I barely register Tanis shouting orders in my place - my entire focus is on Maya. Her leg is twisted at an awkward angle, and lines of pain crease her face. I did this. I brought her here, exposed her to these dangers.

“Maya,” her name escapes my lips like a prayer. My luminae pulse erratically, betraying every emotion I instinctively desire to hide.

She looks up at me, those dark eyes piercing straight through to my soul. I expect to see hatred there. I deserve her hatred. Instead, there’s something else... something that makes my heart stutter in my chest.

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