Page 55 of Charmed By the Alien Warrior

But my stomach churns with too manywhat ifs. What if there’s too many? What if he…No.I cut off the thought before it can grow and take hold. I don’t have the luxury of doubt right now. Not when everything hangs in the balance.

A shadow looms over me, and I barely have time to react before a hulking Pugj leans over the crate I’m hidden behind. His gaze latches onto me with a predatory glint. I let out a yelp at his sudden appearance and scramble backward, landing on my butt with a jarring thud.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Bigfoot’s mouth stretches wide in a grin full of serrated teeth, and I’m reminded that these guys are known to eat their victims. His long claws flex as he takes another step toward me, and I can already imagine the damage they’ll inflict on me.

My heart races as I press back against the wall. I’m trapped with nowhere to go. The wall is at my back, and the only thing left to do is fight. I grip the knife tightly in my hand, but it feels pitiful compared to the massive weapons that tip each one of his fingers. Still, I hold it steady, even though I feel as if I’m trembling all over.

Bigfoot is close, his claws just a couple of inches away from me when Sorrin strikes. He moves so fast it’s almost a blur. One moment, he’s crouched behind the crates and the next his sword is buried deep in the Pugj’s hairy hide. Bigfoot lets out a strangled shriek of rage that makes my ears ring before he collapses in a heap with blood quickly pooling around him.

I barely get a second to breathe before the second Pugj lunges at Sorrin, claws aimed at his chest. My stomach twists as Sorrin narrowly dodges out of the way just in time, moving with a graceful speed that’s almost hypnotic. The Pugj stumbleswith the momentum of his attack, nearly going down before he regains his balance.

The battle plays out in front of me, and I can’t tear my gaze away. The Pugj is massive with arms and legs as thick as tree trunks—at least, the kind we have back on Earth. But Sorrin fights like a man possessed, every movement deadly and precise. His sword arcs in the air as if it’s an extension of his arm as he uses it to slash and parry each of his opponent’s brutal hits.

But this isn’t just a fight anymore—it’s something more. Sorrin is throwing everything he has into it. It’s painfully clear that he’s ready to sacrifice himself for me. The thought twists in my chest like a knife. I won’t let it happen. He can’t die. Not for me. Not now that I’ve realized…

A flicker of movement draws my attention. It’s the other Laediriian warrior. Terrik. He’s sneaking along the edge of the corridor with a long knife in his hand and his cold gaze fixed on Sorrin’s back. His eyes gleam like a predator as he closes in on his prey. Sorrin’s too focused to notice, too locked into the fight to see what’s coming.

My heart pounds in my ears and time seems to slow down to a crawl. Fear grips me, settling in my stomach like a ball of hot acid. But it’s not fear for me. It’s fear for Sorrin. I can’t just sit here and watch him die in front of me.

My palms are sweaty, but my fingers clench around the hilt of my own knife, holding it tightly as anger rises in me.He’s not going to take Sorrin from me.

Squaring my shoulders, my grip tightens on my knife as I push myself up before I slip into the shadows. My steps are soft as I creep toward Terrik, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Either he doesn’t notice me or if he does, he doesn’t consider me a threat.

I’m just a human, after all. Just a female. Someone weak and insignificant.

And that dismissal makes my anger burns hotter, fueled by every callous face that’s ever stared me down. Everyone that told me my mom ran off and left us. Everyone that told me to move on and to stop being so difficult. And most importantly, that unapologetic smirk on Don’s face when he saw me at the sentencing. They all flash before my eyes.

Terrik isn’t just one man. He’s every man that thinks they can take without asking, destroy without consequences.But not today.I slip from the shadows, my eyes locked on Terrik. Sorrin’s not dying here, not if I have anything to say about it.

I’m nearly there, the sounds of Sorrin’s fight mixes with the rushing in my ears. I can see the tense lines in his body as he dodges another swipe from the large Pugj. Unlike his first opponent, this one is much bigger and a more skilled fighter, but even I can tell that Sorrin is holding his own. But it’s taking up every bit of his concentration.

Terrik raises his arm and his muscles tense as he readies for a fatal strike. My heartbeat is pounding in my ears, but my fear for Sorrin almost seems to sharpen my focus until all I can see is the large warrior just a few feet away.

I grit my teeth and with a shout, throw myself forward, plunging my knife straight into his back. His body jerks in shock, and I twist the knife as I press it deeper, causing even more damage. Blood pours from the wound in thick rivulets down his back, staining my hands.

Terrik drops his blade and staggers forward a few steps before whipping around, his hands clawing at his back, but it’s no use. The damage has been done.

His face contorts into a mixture of disbelief and fury. “You filthy insectoid!” Terrik snarls, spittle flying from his mouth and splattering on my face.

He tries to lunge for me, but his strength is fading fast. Instead, he drops to the floor, landing hard on his knees. Red foam bubbles from his lips, and with one last gasp, he collapses face down.

My hands are shaking, but at Sorrin’s guttural cry, I turn to watch as his sword slices through the neck of the Pugj warrior, ending the fight in a brutal spray of blood. He breathes heavily, looking up, his eyes finding mine.

But then his eyes widen in shock as they focus on something behind me. Before I can even react, rough hands grab me, abruptly yanking me back against a solid chest. The sudden force knocks the air from my lungs. A hard arm clamps around my chest like iron, immobilizing me, and the cold bite of a knife presses against my skin.

Fuck.Of course, it would be that bully, Sevvern. He stayed out of the battle, watching from the safety of the shadows, but now, with the bodies of his allies littered in the hallway, he’s decided to make his move.

At the sight of me held captive, Sorrin releases a roar of fury that echoes off the walls, and I watch as he freezes, his muscles going rigid and his eyes wild with fear as he takes in the scene—me in Sevvern’s grip and a knife at my throat. He steps forward, slowly, his body tense with barely contained rage.

I almost gag as the sour, fetid scent of Sevvern’s breath wafts over me. No wonder he was so chummy with the Pugj, he smells just as bad as they do. My stomach churns, nausea clawing at my gut, and I struggle against him, ramming my elbow against his stomach in an attempt to get loose.

But it’s like hitting a brick wall. Sevvern barely flinches, only tightening his hold. The blade digs deeper, and I feel a sting of pain as warm blood trickles down my neck.

“Stay still, human,” Sevvern hisses, his voice dripping with sadistic delight. “Or I’ll see how quickly I can drain you dry.”

His voice sends a shiver of revulsion down my spine. Panic surges through me, but I force myself to stay calm. If I move even an inch, I know the blade will slice deeper into my flesh.

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