Page 25 of Swept By The Alien Pirate Prince

The thought of leaving him in here alone to drink himself into a coma made my stomach churn.

“Are you sure that’s the best option for you right now?” I asked, shifting my weight with unease.

Cyburn remained on the bed, but his features were stony as he stared straight ahead.

“I’m sure.”

“Can I at least take this with me?” I asked, holding up the bottle by my side.

Cyburn gave me a reluctant nod before his eyelids closed.

I approached him and wrapped my arms around him. I squeezed him close in a heartfelt hug, which he returned.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“It’s not your fault,” I whispered back.

I would always owe Cyburn my life. There was nothing he could do that couldn’t be forgiven from my perspective.

“If you need me, I’ll be in my chambers.” I moved in slow-motion backward, toward the exit door. Saying the words ‘my chambers’ felt foreign to me because I never stayed there, or if I did, it was never alone without Cyburn.

“I love you,” Cyburn said and gave me a sentimental, yet meager smile as I stood in the doorway. “Thank you.”

I was torn, but I complied with his wishes, and walked away, hoping that he would call me back to return to him.

ChapterEight

CYBURN

Istood in front of the fluorescent lights in my bathroom mirror. I stared at my taut reflection. My green skin was paler than usual. My almond shaped eyes were mere slits — exhaustion was the culprit — and stared at me with a haunting desperation.

“Pull yourself together,” I said, gritting my teeth.

I leaned forward, continuing to stare at myself, unsatisfied with my mental and physical wherewithal.

I was drained, and drunk. So much for being a reputable commander. Oh well, I was trying to process a lot of unsettled emotions.

“You shouldn’t have let her leave you in here alone.”

I hated arguing with myself out loud. It made me sound crazier than I already thought I was.

My eyelids, heavy and fatigued, refused to stay open any longer and fluttered closed. My words slurred. I swayed back and forth as the room went into a dizzying spin. My fingers reached out, fumbling to grasp the edge of the sink to sturdy myself.

I heaved a long, slow sigh and clipped my knuckle across the switch on the wall. The halo of light over my head vanished and I was shrouded in darkness. I didn’t care. It was too bright for my dulled senses anyway.

I trudged back into my private commander quarters and stopped in front of the windows, peering out into the black void.

It looked like someone had poked holes in a dark blanket, but they were not big enough to retain light. The stars that were hundreds, thousands, if not millions of miles away, were merely pinpricks out there in the vast stretch of the universe.

Amada was out there somewhere. It was daunting to even imagine what would happen to her now.

Carmela was right. Maybe being alone with my destructive thoughts wasn’t the best thing for me right now.

I had a screaming headache that pulsed through my temples and pounded behind my eyes. I just needed to lay down and fall asleep, but I couldn’t shut off my mind, no matter how hard I tried.

Carmela had also tried to reassure me of the fact that the list of steps I’d taken to slow or even derail the progression of Amada’s madness were all I could have ever done.

It was inevitable that she cracked, something that could not be prevented against the odds. She was a ticking time bomb, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to explode and kill everyone in her warpath.

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