Page 13 of Cursed Alien

The beast regarded her for a long moment, then stepped back into the shadows to let her pass. As she moved past him into the entrance hall, she caught a hint of his scent—wild and musky but layered with the clean scent of the evergreens that climbed the mountainside.

Inside, she took a proper look at her surroundings for the first time. The entrance hall stretched upward into darkness, its ceiling lost in shadow. Corridors branched off in multiple directions, and everywhere were signs of once-great technology fallen into disrepair. Lights flickered erratically, and somewhere deep in the structure, machinery groaned in protest.

“This place is incredible,” she breathed, professional curiosity momentarily overshadowing her fear.

The Vultor made a sound—not quite a growl, almost a huff. “Broken.”

“Yes, but fixable.” She approached a nearby control panel, fingers hovering over its surface. “I’ll need tools, materials. And I need to understand the systems before I start tearing into anything.”

An arm emerged from the shadows—a huge, muscular arm covered with dark silver fur—and pointed down one of the corridors.

As she walked deeper into the fortress, she felt a strange mix of terror and exhilaration. She was essentially a prisoner, yet surrounded by technology beyond her wildest dreams. And her captor—this terrifying Vultor—seemed less interested in harming her than in securing her expertise.

The hairs on the back of her neck prickled and she knew he was following her, even though he made no sound. She came to an abrupt stop and turned around in time to catch another glimpse of fur before he drew back into the shadows.

“Do you have a name?” she asked, the question escaping before she could consider its wisdom.

There was a long moment of silence and she was about to give up when he finally spoke.

“Mal…rik,” he growled, the name emerging as if from very far away.

“Malrik,” she repeated. “I’m Bella.”

As she resumed her exploration, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her situation than a simple bargain. The way Malrik had hesitated over his own name, the strange intensity with which he watched her… Something deeper was at play here.

But for now, she had a job to do. Her father was safely on his way to Agatha, and she had ancient technology to explore. Whatever game Malrik was playing, she would deal with it as it came.

After all, she thought with grim determination, she’d made a bargain with a beast. And she intended to see it through.

CHAPTER7

Malrik followed Bella, watching from the shadows as she moved through his domain. The beast in him purred with satisfaction at her presence. Her scent filled the empty halls, marking them as occupied once more. She belonged here with him in his territory—the bargain had been struck—but his emerging rational side felt a prickle of unease.

What had he done? Trapped a female here? The thought disturbed the Vultor part of him that struggled toward consciousness.

The beast growled.Mine. Here. Safe.

He kept his distance as she explored, moving silently through hidden passages and darkened corners. The massive claws that tipped his paws made no sound on the stone floors. Years of hunting had taught him to be silent, even in this monstrous form.

The rational part of him wondered why he didn’t simply walk with her, show her what needed repair. But the beast was content to observe from a distance, to ensure she remained.

She stopped to study a control panel, her expression brightening as she studied its design. “This isn’t like anything we have in the village,” she murmured to herself. “The integration of organic components with the standard tech… fascinating.”

Something stirred in him at her words. Pride? He had commanded this place be built with the finest technology available, hadn’t he? Yes… yes, that memory was clear now. Standing tall in his humanoid form, gesturing at plans spread across a table, demanding only the best.

“The other clans build simple dwellings that blend with the forest,”a voice had argued.“This display of wealth and technology goes against our ways since settling on Cresca.”

But he had dismissed those concerns. He was Malrik, son of the High Alpha. He would have a dwelling that showcased his status, that impressed any who visited.

The beast growled softly at the memory, unsettled by its clarity. These flashes had been coming ever since he caught her scent for the first time, but they have never been this vivid.

He pushed the memories aside as he followed her. The beast wanted to curl around her, to mark her with his scent. His rational side wanted to understand why she fascinated him so.

She found the main power junction and knelt before it, pulling tools from her belt. Her fingers moved with surprising confidence over circuits that had been dead for years. He tilted his head, watching as she muttered to herself.

“Primitive routing system, but the core architecture is solid. Just needs…” She twisted something, and a section of lights flickered weakly before dying again. “Almost. Not enough power distribution yet.”

Another memory flashed through his mind—standing in this very corridor, towering over a cowering architect.

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