Page 41 of Charmed By the Alien Warrior

Sorrin nods, his expression serious as he continues to read the message. “Yes. But we’ll need to find them quickly. Vrenner’s message also warns that they spotted Pugj patrols in the area. Now, that they know about you and the other females, they’ll be searching for more of you.”

A chill runs down my spine at the thought of my friends or the other women in the hands of the Pugj and the Tussoll. They would like nothing better than to capture a bunch of helpless humans.

“We have to find them, then,” I say, determination hardening my voice.

But as the words leave my mouth, a shrill alarm cuts through the silence and the lights dim.

“What is that?” I shout over the noise.

“I don’t know.” Sorrin shakes his head as he taps away at the touchscreen before a diagram of what I suspect is the ship fills the screen. He growls and for some reason the sound goes right through me, settling in the bottom of my stomach.

“It’s an intruder. Something has breached a door on the upper level of the ship. It must be that sarding tiniio.” A countdown flashes up on the screen and Sorrin stills. He lifts his head, looking over to me. “We have to get out.”

“What?”

He stands and grabs my hand, pulling me along behind him. “The doors are going to seal us in—" His words are cut off by a hiss as the wide door slides closed right in front of us. The metallic clang of the lock sliding home is audible even over the still-blaring alarm.

Then, there’s silence as the alarm abruptly shuts off and the lights flicker until they dim, dousing the control room in shadows.

Fuck.We’re locked in.

Chapter 15

Sorrin

Sard, we’re locked in.

“What just happened?” Mara asks, her voice tight with tension. Her wide green eyes search mine for reassurance, but I can see the fear creeping in. Her face is so pale I can make out the faint trace of blue veins at her temples.

The blaring alarm abruptly cuts off, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. The stillness presses in on me, thick and heavy, but my mind won’t stop racing as I run through every scenario I can think of to get us out of here.

I clench my jaw, forcing myself to sound calm. “The security system has locked down the ship. The doors won’t unseal until tomorrow morning.”

Stepping forward, I press my palm against the door, willing it to respond, but it stays stubbornly shut. Of course, it’s not going to work. That relentless, sarding tiniio triggered the ship’s security system and a full lockdown protocol hasbeen implemented. I may not be tech savvy like Vrenner or the human, Isabella, but even I can read a warning message when it flashes on a monitor.

But I refuse to admit defeat just yet. I’m not known as the best hunter in the tribe for nothing.

“Maybe I can…” My words trail off as I run my fingers along the seam where the door meets the wall, feeling for any weakness, anything that might give me leverage.

I dig my fingers into the barely discernible crack where the door meets the wall and pull with all my strength. Every muscle strains as I try to force it open, but it doesn’t budge, not even a fraction. With a huff of frustration, I slam my palm against the cold, unyielding surface.

Sard. This can’t be happening. Not in front of Mara. Not now that I have tasted the paradise between her thighs. She will never let me taste her again if I make a fool of myself in front of her.

Beside me, Mara shifts closer, the soft rustle of her movements catching my attention. Her body is tense, her earlier lightheartedness replaced by a quiet nervousness. It makes my chest tighten. I would give anything to see that soft smile return to her face, to hear her laughter echo through the ship again. Maybe…

“Are you okay?” Mara asks, the concern lacing her voice making me want to pull her close and bury my face against her fragrant mane if only to forget the situation.

“Yes,” I grit out. There is no need to tell her of my weakness. The fear that has followed me around since I was young. There is no need for her to think that I’m weak.

I force a grin, though I know it probably looks like the expression on Enosir’s face when he was sick from eating too much sweet nectar. “It looks like we’re not going anywhere for a while,” I chuckle, trying to inject some levity into the situation. My voice feels too loud in the quiet room, but at least it works—Mara’s lips quirk up, even if it’s just for a moment.

“So, what do we do now?” She asks, looking around the control room.

I glance at the console, trying to push down the tension that is building in my chest. “Maybe I can unlock the security systems.”

Crossing the room, I take a seat in front of the monitor and stare at the display, hoping it will give me some clue, some way out of this mess.

“Okay,” Mara replies, her voice steady and sure now. “I’ll check the bag they left behind for us. Maybe there’s something we can use in it.”

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