Page 56 of Charmed By the Alien Warrior

“I see you’ve picked up a few tricks,” Sevvern sneers at Sorrin, his mocking tone scraping over my nerves like sandpaper. “But you’re still that weak, sniveling youngling underneath it all.”

He takes a step back, pulling me with him as he angles us toward the end of the corridor, tugging me along like a human shield. Across the room, Sorrin stands frozen, his muscles tense as if he’s just barely holding himself back. His eyes flicker from me to Sevvern, and I can tell he’s weighing his next move.

“Let her go.” Sorrin’s voice is a low dangerous growl, and there’s an edge of desperation in it that makes my chest ache. “This is between us, Sevvern. She has nothing to do with it.”

“Oh, but she has everything to do with it,” Sevvern chuckles darkly, his arm tightening around me. The knife bites deeper, and I swallow back a gasp, refusing to give him the satisfaction.

Sorrin’s gaze drops to the blood trailing down my neck. The sight transforms his expression from fury to something darker. His knuckles whiten around the hilt of his sword, and the protective fire blazing in his eyes burns even hotter.

I want to tell him not to worry, to not risk his life for mine, but the words are stuck in my throat. My heart feels like it’s going to burst from my chest, every muscle in my body trembling. The knife is so sharp, so close to my skin, that even breathing feels dangerous.

Sorrin takes a step forward right into a beam of light from one of the fixtures overhead. "If you don’t release her, I will make you wish for death.” His voice is low and controlled, but I can see the fiery swirl of emotion in his eyes. They’re the bright, molten gold that I’ve noticed only happens when he feels strong emotions.

Sevvern tilts his head, his gaze narrowing on Sorrin. “Your eyes…” His voice trails off in confusion. “They’re gold.”

He spits the last words out almost as if they’re an accusation, and I watch as Sorrin freezes in place, his golden gaze pinned on Sevvern.

The words hang in the air, heavy with meaning I don’t fully understand. I’ve seen Sorrin’s eyes change to gold plenty of times over the last few days, and I’ve just chalked it up to another one of those things that makes Laediriians different from us humans—they have eyes that change colors with their emotions.

After a moment of charged silence, Sevvern releases a barking laugh. Spittle flies out of his mouth and lands on my cheek.

“Oh ho! She’s your mate.” His arm tightens around me, bruising my ribs and making me gulp down a gasp of pain. But it’s his words that really stun me. “Thiscreatureis your amoris mate. Your second heart beats for her.”

His words hit me like a physical blow. My gaze locks with Sorrin’s, and I don’t need him to confirm it. The truth is already written in the molten gold of his eyes. He’s my mate. My amoris.

Everything Haley tried to explain to me finally clicks into place. The way he’s been in my thoughts constantly, the pull I feel toward him, and the ball of warmth that has lodged itself in my chest like sunshine on a rainy day… it all makes sense.

It’s him. It’s always been him.

I didn’t believe in the mate bonds, but this? This all-consuming desire to be with him, to never part, to protect him, and cherish him. It’s exactly how Haley has described the amoris bond with Draggar.

And now that I’ve acknowledged the truth, that ball of warmth that has seemed to follow me around for days grows and expands shooting through my veins with a tingling sensation and spreading through my body energizing me. It grows into something fierce and unbreakable stretching between us like a physical tether.

And I know, without a doubt, that I have to do something. I’m not just going to stand here and allow this overgrown bully to win. Not when I have something worth fighting for.

My mind races, searching for any possible way out. The knife at my throat is so close, but maybe I can distract him. If I can throw Sevvern off balance for just a moment, it might give us an opportunity to get out of this.

“Why are you doing this?” The question bursts out of me, and it almost seems to shock Sevvern as much as it does me.

His steps falter and he pauses our backwards march. Sevvern cocks his head at me, studying me with a glacial gazeas if he’s trying to decide whether my question is even worth an answer.

For a moment, I think he’s going to ignore me. But then he chuckles—a deep, unsettling sound that fills the hallway, as cold and cruel as the look in his eyes.

“Because I want power,” he sneers.

Of course he does.Another self-obsessed monster, willing to crush anyone beneath him if it means he gets to be on top.And just like every other arrogant villain, he can’t resist bragging about his plot. It’s so stereotypical, I almost roll my eyes.

“I’ve made a deal with the Pugj. Once I help them conquer Laedirissae, I will become the ruler of all remaining Laediriians. And the first step to doing that is eliminating the Anuriix tribe.” Sevvern’s gaze slides to Sorrin, a smug, twisted smile on his face.

People like Sevvern don’t care about anyone but themselves. They’d destroy the world just to rule over its ruins. Anything as long as they have power. It’s the exact same kind of behavior that happens back on Earth—selfish men sacrificing whoever they have to as long as they’re at the top. They lie, they destroy, and they think they can walk away with blood on their hands and get away with it. And quite frankly, I’m sick of it.

I’m done being a victim. I’m done being at someone else’s mercy. And I’m definitely done with this shit.

“What does that have to do with me?” I ask, keeping my eyes trained on Sorrin and drawing strength from him even as Sevvern’s arm tightens around me.

Sorrin doesn’t like this any more than I do. His gaze never leaves me as he restlessly shifts, as if he can’t remain still. I canalmost feel his brain running through every scenario trying to figure out how to get me safely away from Sevvern.

“You…” Sevvern’s arm tenses around me as if to emphasize his words. “Will be incentive enough to get warriors to fight for me.”

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