Page 22 of Tamed By the Alien Warlord
Jasmine jerks.
Shescreams—or tries to. The mask muffles it into a garbled, sickening sound.
I slam my hand over my mouth.
They’retestingon her.
Experimenting. Torturing.
I don’t think.
I don’t plan.
I justknow.
I can’t wait for Lanz.
I have to save my sister—now.
CHAPTER 9
LANZ
The signal comes through like a pulse straight into my spine.
Location confirmed.
It’s Georgia’s code, piggybacking on a stolen internal frequency. Encrypted, sure, but laced with enough sarcasm in the metadata that it might as well read:Found her. Bring your toys.
I slam a fist into the deck beside the comm panel. The entire bridge vibrates from the force, and every Reaper in earshot roars in answer.
“Hell’s open for business! And business…is…good!” Rix bellows, baring his jagged teeth. “Time to put our boots on some Combine throats!”
The rest of them erupt—howls, stomps, fists banging against their own armored chests. They sound like what they are: death made flesh. No mercy. No hesitation. No clean ends.
Just ruin.
One of the gunners spits onto the deck. “Hope the Earth First dogs left us some meat.”
“I hear their nurses wear silk,” another adds, grinning. “Bet they cry pretty too.”
A third—Arlak, one of the meaner ones—growls, “Who gets first pick of the pleasure stock?”
“Not if you’re slow,” Rix says, slapping a charge pack into his rifle. “Let’s make it a contest.”
I step into the middle of the frenzy and raise one hand.
The room silences instantly.
“My mate is inside that compound.”
The tension spikes.
“You touch her—” I let the words hang. Let themtastethe danger in my voice. “—and you won’t see the next raid. Her sister too. You see either of them, you protect them. Everything else… belongs to us.”
Rix nods slowly, eyes glowing with bloodlust. “Understood, Captain.”
Another Reaper laughs. “Five bars say the human’s already knocked some fool cold.”
