Page 25 of The Alien Warrior's Mate

Before Korben could lean over and unleash the promise in his eyes, he stopped, twisted his head and looked behind him. His muscles stiffened under her hand. Enthara’s head lifted, her eyes glowing a steely blue, reflecting Korben’s unease.

As a strange hum charged the air, Korben launched into action and swung her on Enthara’s back again. Her body jolted against the dinosaur in a familiar thud. Sara gritted her teeth and held on tight to the handlebars on either side of Enthara’s neck. She was really getting tired of this. What the hell was after them now?

Eleven

Korben

He was learninghow to resist Sah-ah’s charm.

A good thing.

A very good thing.

If he’d been distracted by her like he was back at the cave, they would have been dead. Even now, they weren’t too far from that fate as, somehow, they’d stumbled into the onini’s territory. It was mating season, something Korben should have remembered when he brought Sah-ah up here.

The buzz of the onini grew louder as the swarm of white bugs filled the horizon. The tiny predators packed dangerous venom in their stingers and were known to prick their enemies deep to their bones. One dose of onini venom and the host would be rendered dead in a sun rotation.

The onini charged after them as Enthara raced through the air. Sah-ah saw the giant swarm and gasped in horror, a sound he was getting used to. She dug her blunt nails into his fingers, her eyes wide and trembling.

He wrapped one arm around her waist.Protect Sah-ah.It was a directive that vibrated through his heras. He would not let a single hair on her head be harmed.

Adrenaline spiked his venas, but he’d been in enough high-pressure situations to remain level-headed.

“A flustered mind cannot think properly. He will miss the answer that’s right in front of him,” his father’s voice echoed in his head.

Korben called upon his years of training and released the sword he’d instinctively reached for. Weapons would not work against bugs that tiny. He needed to take the advice he always gave his brother.

Sometimes, you can’t fight your enemy. You have to outsmart them.

The onini charged closer and their buzzing sounded like giant fans scrapping against metal cages. They merged into a tight formation, packed so close together that they seemed to become one entity.

Sah-ah’s voice trembled. “Korben…”

Korben forced breath into his lungs and calmly twisted Sah-ah to face forward.

She, stubborn female, glanced back at him. “Waat eez yu don?”

“Steer,” he barked.

“Wut?”

She had already proven to be brave and, back in the Rulari fight, she had controlled Enthara on her own. He needed her to do this once more.

Breaking off his spine dagger, Korben stood and balanced on his speeding beast. He sawed the limbs of the nearby trees and tossed them at the onini’s formation. The bugs scattered frantically, rushing around to attach themselves back together so they could attack.

His solution was temporary. This method would not work forever and, eventually, they would have to land.

Korben shot a quick look at Sah-ah to check on her. Her brown knuckles were pale against the handles. She bit down hard on her bottom lip, terror tightening her brows until they almost touched in the middle of her forehead.

He heard the buzzing grow louder and glanced behind him. The onini came together again, angrier than before. His heras pounded hard and Korben knew they needed to shelter down.

He whirled around, eyes ablaze and yelled, “Steer!” This time, Korben accompanied the command with a finger pointed at Enthara’s controls. “Down!”

Sah-ah jerked her chin, her curls flying wildly in her face. Leaning over the handles, she slammed her bare foot in the groove of Enthara’s side and leaned forward. Pride snaked through Korben’s chest, but he did not have time to coddle or praise her.

Focusing all his attention on breaking the tree limbs, he shot branch after branch in the onini’s direction. Sah-ah kept his zapten steady, and Korben eased down to the side. His fingers dug into the metal flap as he grabbed the seat he’d vacated and used it as an anchor.

The wind whipped his hair over his face and the heat from Enthara’s tail wrestled with the sweat on his palm. From this close, Korben could see the individual eyes of a hundred killer onini.

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