Page 17 of Hunted By the Dragon Alien

He chuckled softly, a sound that made her pulse quicken all over again. “Don’t worry about me. Seeing and feeling you come undone by my touch was…” He closed his eyes briefly and released an uneven breath. “Beautiful. That was a little taste of what it could be between us.”

“I liked it,” she said, suddenly feeling both bold and vulnerable. “I—I hope we can do it again.”

Warmth and confidence eclipsed the aches of her body and the fears clawing at her mind. She met Takkian’s intense gaze head-on, refusing to back down even as her heart raced.

Takkian lifted an eyebrow. “So do I.”

“I suppose this will change things between us,” she said in a steadier voice.

His expression shifted. The heat faded from his eyes momentarily. It was subtle, but enough for her to notice. The air ticked heavily with what hung unspoken between them, charged with meaning that both terrified and excited her. “It will,” he said quietly. “I’ve wanted you. Now that I know you return my feelings, I won’t hide them. You will be mine, Sevas.”

“Are you sure?” Sevas’ voice held a tremor of uncertainty and alarm. “Because I’m not easy to get along with. People in my settlement called me ‘willful,’ ‘short-tempered,’ ‘stubborn,’ and that’s just a few of the nicer ones. They used to say they pitied the male who would have to break me.” Her teeth gnashed with loathing for that term. She was fairly sure she’d die before she was broken.

Takkian shifted slightly, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he considered her words. “You cannot be broken,” he growled, matching her thoughts. “And I would never try. You make my dragon fire burn hot in my throat. My cock has never been thishard in my life. You make me want to tear apart this entire arena and kill everyone in it, just to take you out of here.”

Sevas had to admit, his words made her feel almost giddy in her belly. No one had ever said such a thing to her. Had she stayed at the settlement, her disguise of darkening her hair would have failed at some point, she’d have been sent off to a bondmate, and there was no way any Terian male would have said something like that to her. When she looked into Takkian’s eyes, she could see that he meant every word. She could almost see flames dancing in his silver eyes. It gave her fresh hope theycouldget out of there. That something good could come of all this.

“I want to live, Takkian,” she said, the passion behind her words surprising even herself. “I want to feel everything with you. I…fek,I want to see your cock.”

His lips twitched. “You have no idea how much I want to show it to you.” The tension in his body eased and he shifted closer. Takkian’s gaze held hers, deeper than the simple promise. “Then, we plan. We look after each other—Ulo, Bruil, and us.” His voice was firm, protective. The weight of his words settled over them like a shield. “We won’t find an escape—we’ll have to make one.”

Sevas nodded. “Agreed.” She shifted slightly to face him better. “We’ll figure out how to navigate the arena, the mechs’ routines and weaknesses, all passageways we can access. Find ways to turn the odds in our favor.”

Takkian’s eyes flickered with something unreadable. “There’s no guarantee they won’t notice us scheming or plotting,” he warned, his voice dropping so low he was barely audible. “If they suspect, we will not leave this place alive.”

“Understood.” Sevas shifted her weight once more. The remnants of exhaustion slid away under the force of their renewed purpose. “Wewillleave here alive.”

Sevas settled back against Takkian. Exhaustion crept into her bones again, but now it was different. She glanced up at him. His expression was a mixture of resolve and concern. The confidence that radiated from him was infectious. It fueled the fire inside her, and for the first time since being shoved in this cell, she began to hope that she could find her friends. Somewhere out there were four other Terian females. She couldn’t dwell on what their fates may have been. To do so would put her in tears. But she could imagine that once free of this miserable place, she could set out to find them. Hopefully, with Takkian’s help.

“Tomorrow,” she murmured, half to herself and half to him, as her eyelids grew heavy. “We plan. We’ll find a way out of here.”

“Tomorrow,” Takkian echoed, his voice low and steady, a promise carried in the deep timbre. He shifted slightly, pulling her closer and settling in for sleep. He let out a deep sigh, and she hoped she could hear that sound again, many times.

Sevas nestled into his side, feeling the comforting rise and fall of his chest as his breathing steadied and deepened in sleep. A wave of peace washed over her. Her eyes fluttered shut as thoughts of escape swirled in her mind, intertwining with the rhythm of his heartbeat. This felt right. Thishadto work.

TEN

Takkian

Takkian awoke before the lights came back on. He lay there for a moment, listening to Sevas’ soft breathing. Her warm body was pressed against his chest. Her golden hair spilled over the mattress in a bright gold wave. The memory of their kiss lingered, making a fire coil low in his belly. If he had his way, they’d stay like this all cycle, talking, touching, exploring each other. But today was likely a fighting day, and he had to prepare.

He slipped out from beneath the blanket without disturbing her and climbed down to the floor. Familiar anxiety snaked through him as he made his way to the corner of the cell, testing the muscles in his arms and wings to shake off sleep. The air felt different today. Charged. He could almost taste the adrenaline buzzing like an electric current in the back of his throat. The anticipation of the arena set his heart racing, but beneath that excitement lay a heavy layer of dread. He had to focus. Winning this fight wasn’t just about survival. It was about keeping Sevas, Bruil, and Ulo safe. Keeping hope alive for all of them. As he paced, the sound of metal rolling against the stone floor echoedoutside the cell. He turned, instinctively moving into a defensive stance. The door swung open, revealing the sharp silhouette of a mech, its red eye glowing ominously in the dim light.

“Takkian, designation 752-X,” it announced in its unnerving monotone, “your match begins shortly. Prepare for immediate departure to the washroom and feed line.”

Takkian’s stomach churned at the words. The others would eat and use the washroom later. He, along with the early cycle batch of fighters, would do so now. He nodded curtly, pushing aside the clenching emotions that fought for attention. This was routine. He’d faced the arena many times, each match a test of skill, strategy, and a measure of luck.

He took a moment to glance back at the bunk where Sevas lay sleeping. That last kiss played through his mind again—a soft touch, a spark of warmth—reminding him why he had to keep winning. The mech waited impassively, oblivious to the riot of emotions pounding through him.

“Let’s go,” he replied, his voice gruff but steady as he stepped through the threshold of the cell. The mech turned. Its heavy frame moved with unsettling precision, leading him down the narrow hallways with their dull, gray walls. The flickering lights overhead cast distorted shadows that shifted and stretched in the corners of his vision. He ate only a portion of his allotted ration and washed quickly, eager to get the match over.

Eager to return toher.

Takkian remained alert to every sound and movement through the corridors. The faint clanging of weapons and the distant murmurs of anxious spectators mingled into an anxiety that wrapped around his chest like a metal band. He had learned to rely on this atmosphere. It kept him sharp. It kept him aware that his life always hung in a precarious balance here. But now, there was more at stake. So much more.

As they approached the arena entrance, the din grew louder. The mechanical doors slid open, unveiling the familiar circle of sand and high walls. The arena was packed with anticipation and a raucous crowd thrumming with energy. The seats teemed with alien species. Their colorful forms shimmered under bright lights as they stamped and shouted, eager for the thrill of battle.

“Fight number four,” an announcer said.

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