Page 31 of The Alien's Stolen Rebel

I hit the deck and rolled, leaping back into the fray without hesitating or looking at what Frax was doing. My anger spilled out in a shout as my feet found purchase. “Youhurther!”

Frax backed off, bringing up a forelimb to protect his face from my frenzy, eyes wide as I drove him back. I gave no thought to defense, to protecting myself.Ididn’t matter.

Only Rachel’s safety mattered.

My claws tore into the warlord’s thick, leathery skin, drawing howls of pain and outrage from him. Off balance, he struggled to counter my offensive, but hewas too canny a warrior to let me deal a killing blow and the crazed assault drained my reserves quickly. Bloodied and battered, he managed a grin.

“Can’t keep this up for long, Kreel. Quit now, run, and I’ll give you a head start.”

“Youhurther!”Not the wittiest battle cry, nor the most fearsome. Backed by an endless reservoir of rage born of my love for Rachel, it didn’t need to be. A spark of fear flashed in his eyes.

“Stop saying that!” Swinging wildly, Frax tried to force me off him. Refusing to move despite his painful punches to my torso, I ripped at his hide even as my ribs cracked under his assault.

My energy flagged, my chances of victory growing slimmer with every passing breath. And still the bastard fought back, still he refused to die or run. Bloody, injured, exhausted, we panted and staggered.

“You hurt?—”

“Enough!” Frax interrupted me, his voice a gasping roar of frustration and pain. “You think I’ve hurt her? This is nothing! When I have what I need from her, Astara and I will take your precious human apart piece by piece.”

His words had the desired effect, goading me into an even more reckless attack. The warlord hadn’t counted on just how much he was stoking my anger, though. A vicious strike at my torso tore me open, blood spraying from the wound and agony flooding me. Against any sane opponent, that would have ended the fight.

Where my mate was concerned, though, sanity was but a small thing, and I refused to let it keep me from saving her.

Agony burned through me, but I ignored it. No,channeledit along with my anger, putting everything I had behind my strike at Frax’s throat. My hand closed on his windpipe, claws digging in as I snarled and braced.

Panicking, he swung a brutal fist into my face, trying to put distance between us again. The impact flung me away, but I refused to release my grip, and his throat came with me as I rolled across the deck.

My vision faded to gray, my left arm hung limp, and every movement was torture. I grinned as I pulled myself to my feet. Terrible as my injuries were, Frax’s were worse—blood pumped from his gaping neck wound, and he toppled like a felled tree. Thethumpof his body hitting the metal decking shook the entire room.

“You hurt her,” I said once more to my dying foe. “You will never do so again.”

19

RACHEL

For a moment, I stood still, paralyzed by the mix of hope and despair Kreel’s rescue sent through me. He shouldn’t have come. I’d bought his freedom and his safety, and here he was anyway. Barely able to stand, chest shuddering with each breath, and his silver skin covered in blood. I didn’t know how much of it was his.

The rest belonged to Frax, or had while the monster lived. Now, I figured it belonged to the station’s recycling system. They’d make better use of it than Frax ever did.

I’d ignored the rest of the chaotic fight, and now I had no idea who was winning what. Feuding gang lords had turned on each other, and their bodyguards either tried to protect their bosses or kill their enemies. If there were alliances, it wasn’t obvious. And while the fighting raged, there would be no medical attention for Kreel.

To one side, the holographic guests watched in horror. With most of them, it wasn’t clear if they were upset by the carnage or the fact that they were missing the fight. Astara’s feelings were obvious, though. She stared at her husband’s corpse and looked like she might explode with rage.

Somehow, that was what broke me out of my paralysis. Astara had lost her man, but mine was still breathing. I raced to his side, seeing a weak smile on his lips, blood bubbling between them.

“What the fuck have you got to smile about?” I looked at his wounds and winced. His chest was a mess, one arm broken, and there was far too much blood.

“Saved you, didn’t I?” His voice was weak enough that I barely heard him. “Worth it.”

“You got yourself killed, you stupid asshole. I went into this with open eyes. I did it to protect you.”

“Same.” He wheezed something that might have started as a chuckle. I glared at him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.

“This isn’t funny, idiot. You’re dying.” Anger was easier than letting in the grief that howled at the edges of my mind. But anger demanded action. “No, fuck that. You’renotdying. Not here, not like this.”

He started speaking, but I didn’t waste any time listening.He ignored my wishes to save me—he can take his own medicine.

Ellara’s survival instincts were excellent, as were her reflexes. The moment the fight started, she’dvanished behind the altar, the only solid cover in reach, and there she’d stayed. I had to admit a certain admiration for her well-practiced cowardice.

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