Page 32 of Songbird
“Quit walking so damn fast,” I hissed, shuffling my feet. They might drag me back to hell, but I wasn’t going without a fight.
We turned the corner and emerged from the main corridor. Most beings kept their eyes glued to the ground, save a small gaggle of Berajbe, who watched with covert glances.
“I thought you left with Ambassador Mukhal.” My voice was loud, as near to a yell as I could get it in hopes the nearby Berajbe might overhear.
Kayzon laughed, so smug and arrogant at his deception. “My ship did leave. I and my personal guard stayed behind to retrieve my rightful property.”
“I’m not your property,” I squirmed, feeling the bite of claws against my skin.
Kayzon glanced at me over his shoulder. His dark eyes were unreadable, but the way his long gray tongue slathered over his lips made my stomach lurch. “Yes, you are little human, and now that your voice is back to normal, you will earn me millions of credits with your song.”
“I’d rather die than sing for you,” I snapped.
Kayzon’s lips curved upward, slowly and menacingly. “That can certainly be arranged.” His attention shifted forward again, and the massive ass abruptly stopped.
“My lord?” The larger of the guards pulled to a stop, tightening his grip on my arm in warning.
I twisted just enough to see around Kayzon’s bulk and the reason for our halt.
While the fourth level was nowhere near as well to do and populated as level six, they still held a market. The booths were shabby, the wares cheap, and the scent of roasting meat didn’t nearly make my mouth water as much, but thankfully it overshadowed the stench of my captors.
Yet the sight of it brought back memories of my other visits to the market. The moment I met Tarrick, thanks to his adorable niece. The day he took me shopping, and the red scarf I knew still adorned my dressing table.
Tarrick.
I had a lot of regrets in my life. Not making more of an effort to stay close to my father after the divorce. Not standing up to my mother and her single-minded pursuit of fame... seriously, the woman made Kris Jenner look like Mother Theresa. Letting talentless men choose my music and rule my life. But my biggest regret, one I would hold for eternity, was not telling Tarrick how I felt about him. If only I had found the courage. If only I had opened up my heart and let the truth spill out instead of keeping it locked inside, things might be different. I might be in his arms right now, instead of the hands of this ginormous hairy asshat.
Kayzon grunted, a frown furrowing his brow as he glanced back at us. “Avoid the market. I wish to avoid the guards seeing her.”
“How are you going to avoid the guards noticing when you drag me through the dock to your ship?” I grumbled as we turned toward another darkened alleyway.
“My ship is not moored at the dock,” Kayzon laughed, a smug, superior sound that made me wish I could find a way to slap him without getting my hand bitten off. “It awaitsoutside an entrance on the engineering level where we can board unseen.”
Well, shit.
“There is a service entrance in this alley,” the smaller of the Kerzak said, tapping on a datapad. “The next stairway will lead us directly to the engineering level."
That was it then. I was fucked. Kayzon would slip me off the space station before Jala and Praxxan knew he’d grabbed me. And I would never see Tarrick again.
Tears slipped from my eyes, blinding me, and I stumbled, my shoulder slamming into the larger guard. He growled, jerking me sharply, all five of his claws finding purchase in my flesh.
“Ow,” I moaned, the word little more than a sob.
A gentle breeze brushed against my skin, carrying with it a familiar and comforting spicy, masculine aroma. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, letting the scent fill my senses, even though I knew it was only my imagination.
The guard holding me jerked to a stop as Kayzon halted, whipping to glare behind me as a deafening roar exploded through the air. The sound like the roar of an alpha lion, a symphony of power and dominance that demanded respect and evoked fear. It echoed through the corridor, obliterating every other sound to silence.
My body jolted, and I twisted, ignoring the sharp claws ripping through my flesh as I turned to face the origin of the sound. The sheer shock and relief that filled my mind overshadowed the pain of my wounded arm. Everything faded away as I focused on what lay before me, my heart pounding with a mixture of joy and adrenaline.
“Tarrick!” I screamed his name.
He stood just a few feet away, tensed and ready for battle. The most breathtakingly beautiful male I had ever seen. My mate. My hero.
Determined strides brought him closer, the fierceness in his gaze softening when it landed on me, only to fill with rage as he noticed the blood flowing down my arm. I didn’t know how he found me or what led him here, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the sight of him coming to rescue me from Kayzon.
“Get your hands off my mate.” His voice was a storm, with thunderous roars and lightning-sharp cracks filled with fury.
“Your mate?” Kayzon laughed. Cocky, though I noticed he stayed put solidly behind his guards. “The human is my property.”
