Page 34 of Wrecked By My Alien Mentor

I bite my lip, nodding slowly. “Okay. I’ll come.”

He stands, straightening his suit. “Good. I’ll send you the details. Until then, stay safe.”

He leaves without another word, and I sit there for a moment, my heart racing. I glance around the cafe, half-expecting someone to jump out and reveal this was all a setup. But no one does. I grab my bag and head back to Orion Plaza, the weight of the mission still heavy but tinged with a flicker of hope.

Pyke meets me in the lobby, his sharp eyes scanning my face. “Well?”

“He bought it,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel. “He wants me to attend a meeting of ‘like-minded individuals.’”

Pyke grins, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Good work. Now, we wait. And prepare.”

I nod, but my mind is already elsewhere. Orion’s face flashes in my thoughts, and I hope I’ll see him again soon. This mission isn’t just about Veritas anymore. It’s about him. And I’m not ready to lose him.

CHAPTER 16

ORIYN

The shuttle hums beneath my feet, the vibration of the engines a steady thrum that matches the pulse of my blood. Around me, a dozen Vakutan shock troops sit in silence, their scales glinting faintly in the dim light. The air is thick with anticipation, the kind that comes before a fight you’ve been waiting for. It’s been too long since I’ve been in the thick of it, and my muscles ache for the release of combat. But first, Cora. Always Cora.

“Approaching St. Louis airspace,” the pilot’s voice crackles over the comms. “Cloak is holding steady.”

I lean forward, my claws flexing against the armrests. “Keep it that way. We’re not here to make a scene—yet.”

The shuttle lurches suddenly, and I’m thrown back into my seat. “What the hell was that?”

“Commercial jet,” the pilot snaps, his voice tight. “Came out of nowhere. Had to adjust course.”

I frown, my ridges pulling low over my eyes. “Another one?”

“Yes, sir. And another—shit!” The shuttle jerks again, this time hard enough to send one of the troops sprawling. “They’re everywhere. It’s like they’re being rerouted right into us.”

My jaw tightens. “The Grolgath. They’ve broken our cloak.”

The pilot glances back at me, his yellow eyes wide. “How do you know that?”

“Because I taught that tactic at Brakkus Academy.” My voice is a low growl. “They’re using human aircraft as weapons. Clever bastards.”

The shuttle shudders again, and the pilot’s hands fly over the controls. “I can’t keep this up forever. If we hit one of these things?—”

“You won’t.” I stand, my head nearly brushing the ceiling. “Evasive maneuvers. Keep us in the air until we’re clear of the city.”

The troops exchange glances, their scales shifting in unease. One of them, a younger Vakutan with blue scales, speaks up. “Sir, if they’ve broken our cloak, they’ll know we’re coming. This could be a trap.”

“Of course it’s a trap.” I bare my teeth in something that’s not quite a smile. “But we’re not here to play their game. We’re here to win it.”

The shuttle jerks again, and the pilot curses under his breath. “Another one. They’re swarming us.”

“Then stop complaining and fly,” I snap. “Cora’s waiting, and I’m not about to let a bunch of overgrown lizards keep me from her.”

The troops chuckle, the tension easing just enough to keep them sharp. I settle back into my seat, my claws digging into the armrests. The shuttle weaves and dips, the pilot’s skill the only thing keeping us from becoming a fiery crater in the Missouri countryside. My mind races, calculating the odds, the risks, the moves the Grolgath might make next. But beneath it all, there’s one thought that keeps me grounded, focused, alive.

Cora.

The shuttle dips low, skimming just twenty feet above the ground, the Mississippi River a shimmering ribbon below us.The pilot’s claws are tight on the controls, his scales flickering with tension. I can feel the hum of the engines vibrating through my chest, a low growl that matches my own.

“Keep it steady,” I bark, my voice cutting through the tense silence. “We’re not out of this yet.”

“Trying, sir,” the pilot snaps, his yellow eyes darting across the console. “But the Grolgath are rerouting every drone in the area. It’s like they’re trying to—shit!”

---