Page 86 of Alien Prince's Claim

I joined Emily in the back, wishing to share this moment of escape with her.

Soon, we would be far away from the grasping claws of the Goblars, far away from the Seeding Facility, far away from danger.

The twenty hours would lapse and we would once again be free to continue our private Seeding program.

We passed through the dock’s blast doors.

I counted down the seconds, hoping, praying to the Creator that the reflector was operational and would allow us to pass through.

As I counted down the seconds and reached a minute, then two, I really began to believe we were going to escape.

As we sailed higher into the atmosphere, a great sense of relief washed over me.

All at once, my hopes and dreams were coming true.

And so, when the sunlight was blocked, I was puzzled.

I peered out through the front windows.

We had entered another large dock, a ship much larger than ours.

My instincts leaped into action, forcing me from my seat.

But I was too late.

A bright blue light flashed and I lost all control of my body.

I hit the deck hard.

I looked over at Emily and saw her head resting on her shoulder, unconscious.

I attempted to get up but the light had done its job and incapacitated me, even if it hadn’t quite managed to knock me unconscious.

Cayah stood over me.

He wore a pair of goggles designed to counteract the Incapacitator’s effects.

He cocked his head to one side and stared at me with no greater concern than if I was a bug.

My instincts about him and his species had turned out to be correct.

He had betrayed us.

I ground my teeth — but even that was impossible — and my arm twitched but could perform no other action.

The effects would wear off… but not anytime soon.

The ship’s hatch opened and small feet marched up the steps.

I could hear the low guttural growls of the Goblars already.

“You’re probably wondering why I did this, aren’t you?” Cayah said, shrugging his shoulders. “When I followed the tunnels and discovered the route to the dock, I emerged not in an empty room but one full of Goblars. I made a deal with them. If I should come across you and your fated mate, I would bring you to them.

“But trust is not in my nature and so I would only bring you to them once I had possession of my ship. If they renege on their agreement, I would set off a series of bombs that will blow their ship to pieces. We’ll see how that pans out. You have no idea how much a fated female is worth to them.”

I tried to speak, to tell him I was the crown prince of the Krev Empire, that I could give him twice the reward the Goblars offered, but my jaw might as well have been wired shut for all the movement I managed.

“What can I say but that it’s in my nature,” Cayah said, running a finger over Emily’s chin. “I’m sorry about what will happen to her. She’s a true beauty. Naive, but gorgeous. Perhaps she will have a better time of it in her next life. Now, there’s one more thing I need to do before I hand you over to them. I promised you would be conscious when I brought you to them. So…”

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