Page 48 of Alien Prince's Claim

It made logical sense as it was too easy to get lost in this place and he would want to recount his steps back to the inner hallways of the Facility.

If I hurried, I could reach him before he sacrificed himself, before he could make a decision that he couldn’t recover from.

Yes, I thought, my steps growing faster and more confident now.

I would stop him at the last moment.

He would sweep me up in his arms and admonish me for not following his orders, but I would kiss him and he would melt the same way he would make me disintegrate beneath his powerful eyes.

We would kiss and decide to take the risk that he was desperate to avoid but that I was determined to try.

We would escape together and—

Grawp!

I skidded to a halt, the noise nothing like the ones that hissed and groaned and rushed through the pipes overhead and spat from the exposed electrical cables.

This was something alive, living, coming from the throat of a beast of some sort.

Some creature ahead of me, from the tunnel ahead.

And judging by the heavy footfalls growing louder each moment, I suspected it was drawing nearer.

I regained my composure and immediately turned and began to head back down the tunnel.

I should go back to the room, I told myself.

At least Yaltah knew where I was.

But what if something had gone wrong?

What if Yaltah had decided not to follow through with his plan and was now heading back to the room?

And find me gone?

Now he would have to take an even bigger risk and try to find me while these creatures were searching, still looking for him, only now he couldn’t make his escape as I had left the place he had told me to wait!

With my heart in my chest, I hustled back to the room as fast as my legs could carry me.

The corridor flashed in a blur as I raced as fast as my legs could manage.

I was almost there, almost back to safety where Yaltah could find me if he needed to.

I reached the door, skidded to a halt, and checked over my shoulders to see the grawp noises grunted by the unseen beast had grown silent.

I grabbed the door handle, yanked it open, pulled the door back and peered inside the room, and found—

Yaltah wasn’t there.

My smile of excitement faded with disappointment.

The room looked just as I had left it…

At least, almost the same.

The blanket looked a little askew — it hadn’t been like that before, had it?

It had been neat and tidy when I left.

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