Page 492 of Fated Mates of the Titan Empire

I sure hoped it was the lock.

I backed away as something thudded on the other side of the door. It jolted in its frame. No way it was going to hold for long.

But for the moment, I was safe. For the moment, my plan was working.

Chitter.

I froze.

Chitter. Chitter.

I turned and looked over my shoulder, afraid to see what I knew would be there.

Another giant insect.

It coiled its legs to leap at me.

“Argh!” I screamed.

I worked on pure instinct. I bolted forward, yanked the door open, and dropped to the floor as—

The insect in the room used the back wall to leap across the space in a single bound and sail directly into the insect on the other side of the door. There was a loud thud as the creatures collided and their long bamboo-like arms and legs flailed for purchase.

I couldn’t wait uselessly on the floor. I had to get up and move. But it was hard to get my body to obey my commands. I moved through treacle as I got to my feet and ran for the door.

One of the giant insects snapped its mandibles at my heels. It seized my gown and tore the fabric.

I looked back. The creatures were already getting to their feet. Behind them, an entire army of giant ants flooded the corridor and slithered after me.

“Argh!” I screamed, sprinting for one of the distant doors. The others could too easily contain the same monsters.

What the hell are those things?

The door opened automatically and I dived inside. I slapped my hand on the green light before I even landed.

Multiple thuds slammed against the door now. The metal frame bent beneath the blows, tossing one screw loose after another.

Remembering my earlier encounter, I spun around, expecting more of those disgusting insect creatures.

There were none. It was a much larger room than the previous one but there were no other doors out of there either.

At least this one had a window.

A massive window.

When I came up with my incredibly detailed (not) plan of “Escape!” I thought I would find a door that would bring me to a nondescript location in a wood somewhere or a hidden chamber in a science lab in the heart of a city.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

“No,” I said. “This can’t be…”

Staring back at me through that giant window was a sight few—if any—human eye had ever seen before.

An alien planet.

I was in space.

I didn’t find an exit because there was none to find.

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