Page 158 of Scorching the Alien Empire
I unfurl the crumpled piece of plastic.
A jelly stick wrapper.
The silence in my mind shatters.
Drexios grins down at me, lounging inmythrone like a mentalterrorist.
“It’s beddy-bye time,” he croons. “You’re distracting me.”
My entire body locks up, the rage so intense it feels like my skin might combust.
Hedid notjust—
“Afuckingjelly stick wrapper?!” My voice explodes through the chamber as Ihurlit back at him. The useless thing flutters weakly in the air before floating pathetically back down to the floor.
Drexios howls with laughter.
“Are you.Fucking serious?!”
I don’t think. Idon’t care.
Ilaunchmyself up the throne, grabbing his armored leg andpullingwith all my strength, determined to rip him frommyseat. I can’t. I won’t take this disrespect, not from this prick. Not from anybody!
He doesn’t budge.
Drexios raises a single brow, looking down at me with amused disbelief. “What are you doing, you mad bitch?”
I growl, yanking harder.
He smirks. “Boys, help! I’ve caught aplump oneover here.”
The jeers deepen, the air thick with their amusement.
My muscles burn, my breath ragged, but Irefuseto let go. I can’t move him, can’t evenshakehim, but I’ll be damned if I let him win.
The laughter fades. Drexios exhales through his nose, his expression shifting as he reaches down andgrabsmy shoulders, his grip unyielding.
“Stop,” he says, his voice suddenly firm, the humor gone. “Before you hurt yourself.”
I freeze.
The anger simmers, the sheerabsurdityof the situation settling in.
I’m panting, sweat clinging to my skin, fingers aching from the effort. And he’s just... sitting there.
Then, something behind him catches my eye.
The blue glow of the terminal screen pulses steadily. Little dots blink into existence, their rhythmic pinging cutting through my haze of fury.
A sinking feeling drags my stomach down to my boots.
“Uh...” My breath comes unsteady. “What do thoseblinky beepsmean?”
Drexios follows my gaze. His amusement fades, slow and knowing.
“It means,” he drawls, leaning forward inmythrone, “wakey-wakey time for the War Chief.”
Chapter 30
