Page 65 of Conquered Pet
“My brother Seth,” he replied weakly.
“Ahhh, I see,” I responded. “Is it just you down here? Or are there more?”
“There’s a much bigger group that lies a bit to the south,” he replied.
“What were your intentions with me, other than all the disgusting things you were discussing over your cards and whatever it is that you were drinking?” I pushed.
Seth struggled in my arms, and I dug the knife in a bit deeper. He stilled immediately once he realized how dangerously close I was to slicing through his throat.
“Collateral!” Ryan called out. “We only planned to use you as security to ensure the aliens didn’t wipe us out.”
“That was unwise of you,” someone called out behind me.
I knew that voice and it made my heart pound in my chest.
“Should have fucking killed you when we had the chance,” Seth spat at me. He gave one last furious effort to break free and I knew it was time to end it.
I wrenched the knife across his throat without mercy. I wasn’t gentle either.
More blood bathed over me as someone approached me from behind. I let Seth’s body fall to the ground as two big hands grasped my shoulders.
“I should rip them limb from limb,” he growled.
“Talyn,” I breathed. “It’s not my blood.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he muttered, “but it does make me proud to call you mine, human.”
I lifted my head in triumph.
Ryan leered at me with a victory of his own and I took a step back. Quickly, I observed everything around him. His men had started to take several steps back. Ryan had a single hand hidden behind him and I swallowed hard.
A clicking sound echoed in the tunnel.
I knew what that was.
A grenade.
“We need to run,” I whispered hoarsely, but Talyn was already moving. His arms wrapped around my waist as he hurtled backwards. He was faster than any man, yet I didn’t know if he would be fast enough to escape the explosion that was coming.
He flew down the tunnel and I counted the seconds. I knew we wouldn’t have many. I prayed that it would be an older one, that it would take longer to detonate, but when I looked back to see Ryan’s vengeful gaze, I knew it wouldn’t be enough.
The air withdrew from the tunnel with vicious force and a ferocious fiery heat followed. It felt like the breath was sucked right out of my lungs. I stopped breathing as scalding hot air gusted around me and Talyn dove straight toward the ground, using his massive body to cover mine.
The grimace of pain that splintered his face made me want to scream. I couldn’t see around him, but the terrible flames billowed out and I shrank away from the blistering heat. He didn’t make any noise. I don’t know how he kept quiet, but the scent of burning flesh was strong.
Something else bounced near us and a second explosion followed.
I cried out beneath Talyn, wanting to take his pain, and knowing that I wouldn’t survive it. I pressed into his chest, curling my body into as small of a ball as possible.
His grip around me weakened and I screamed with fear for him. The blast compounded on itself. How many bombs did these men have? How had they survived all this time?
I didn’t want to die, but more than anything, I didn’t want Talyn to die either.
The mind goes into a strange, panicked place when death seems inevitable. I thought I’d think of all the happy moments in my life, but every waking moment was spent with Talyn on my mind.
The look in his eyes when I’d aimed my gun at him. The challenge and the open dare to take that shot.
The soft touch of his fingers on my skin. The way his arms wrapped around me when I was happy or sad.
