Page 93 of Alien Prince's Claim

But unbeknownst to me, down one of the many corridors where my voice echoed endlessly, a single pair of ears did hear me.

Yaltah.

29

YALTAH

Emily’s screams awoke me from my deep slumber of unconsciousness.

I bolted awake, alert and ready for action, my senses on high alert, my nostrils flared, and my muscles straining against the restraints on my arms and legs.

They seemed thin and flimsy but as I focused, tensing my muscles, I realized I couldn’t break them.

They did not have enough give.

I twisted my arms to work a little more space into them but it was no use.

“The harder you struggle, the tighter they become,” a familiar voice said.

I stared into the recess of shadows in the corner of the room as Cayah stepped from them, a shit-eating grin on his face.

“I swear to the Creator, I will destroy you,” I snarled. “I’ll tear you apart and remove you from history so no one will remember you, your name, or anything you ever did.”

His grin did not falter. “That would sound a whole lot more threatening if you weren’t strapped to a Goblar armchair.”

That’s when I noticed the other figures in the room — tiny female Goblars marching to and fro, glaring at me as they conducted their business.

Then, I recalled I had heard Emily screaming.

Or had it only been a figment of my imagination?

Had it been something alive in my nightmares?

Suddenly overcome with sadness at the knowledge that I had failed her once more, I peered pitifully up at Cayah. “You do not know who I am.”

“I know you’re doomed. I know the price on your fated female was exceptionally high. But there was no reward for you.”

I locked my eyes on him. “What if there was a reward? A reward larger than anything you could ever imagine?”

His eyes crinkled at the corners and hesitated only a moment before he shook his head. “You almost had me. But we both know the truth. A Krev in your position would say anything to get out of this, especially when his fated female’s life was on the line.”

I nodded. “You’re right. But that doesn’t mean what I’m saying isn’t true. What if I could give you ten times what these Goblar creatures have rewarded you? What if you could name your price? What if you wanted your own private planet? Your own colony? Nothing is beyond asking for.”

Cayah scratched his chin thoughtfully before shrugging his shoulders. “And risk angering the Goblars? I don’t think so. I don’t need them on my tail for the rest of my life. And I’m not greedy. Okay, so maybe I am greedy. But even I know having a small fortune and the freedom to enjoy it is a whole lot more valuable than having a huge fortune and having to constantly look over your shoulder for the rest of your life. Whether your offer is real or not, I’ve made my decision and I’m sticking with it.”

How could I make him see?

How can I tell him who I was without letting these creatures know?

But Cayah was right.

They would not give up on Emily, no matter how much I offered them.

No matter how much I pleaded.

But the moment I ascended the throne, I would use every available resource against them.

If they knew who I was, they wouldn’t bother with the ransom but simply kill me.

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