Page 11 of Chosen By the Alien King
“It wasn’t supposed to be her.It was only the start of a test to see if it could be done.”
“A test that took your daughter,” I shouted, aiming my voice toward the open window.
Would someone hear me?Would they get here in time?In time for what, I didn’t know.
I twirled myself around by my hair in his grip and stomped my heel into the top of his boot.Grunting, he released me.I spun to face him again, now defenseless, with him blocking the way to the door.
“It didn’t go as planned,” he said.“We were going to blame the Faid hack on the Xenoxx, create a universal outcry so they’d flee their planet to seek refuge.”
“So Earth Space Fleet could have it.”It wasn’t a question because it didn’t need to be.I saw the truth in his cold eyes.“Oh yes, I know all about the valuable minerals in its core.”
“I had no idea Rain would receive the hack first.The signal came down from Earth Space Fleet satellites at the exact same time she chose to climb that fucking mountain.I didn’t know that’s how it was going to work or even when they were going to do it.It would’ve never been Lucy if Rain hadn’t climbed that fucking mountain.”
“Sure, blame the Faid, not your employer.Makes total sense, Mike.”
“Don’t you get it, Nera?”He tilted his head, for some reason reminding me of a rabid dog.“After the first hack, we couldn’t hack any of the other Faid.If the plan had worked, we would’ve been rich.You and I wouldn’t have had to live in that crappy house.”
“And that’s worth the death of our daughter?”I hissed.
My mind raced with memories of our past—the pain, the heartache.Lucy, with her infinite energy and zeal for life, snuffed out much too soon.It had broken me beyond repair, had shattered my soul into a thousand jagged pieces, and Mike had known aboutallof it.
But now I had Maxx, someone who truly cared for me and our baby, and I refused to let my ex-husband take me away from him.
“I’m pregnant, you bastard.With Maxx’s baby.”
His eyes widened, and for a split second, his guard dropped.That was all the opening I needed.
I lunged forward, grabbing his wrists and twisting them sharply so he’d be forced to drop his daggers.Before they hit the floor, I snatched them midair.
He was now unarmed, but I wasn’t quite done with him yet.
I jerked my head at the bed behind him.“Sit.”
The weight of my ex-husband’s gaze was almost suffocating as he stared at me, trying to decipher the truth in my words.I could see the little gears turning in his head, calculating the odds of my claim being true.
“Are you really so desperate that you’d use an innocent life as a pawn?”he spat, venom dripping from every syllable.
“Desperate?”I laughed, the sound bitter and hollow.“You’re the one who attacked me on my wedding day.I’m just fighting for my family.”
“With aFaid, Nera.How could you forget?“ His voice cracked with disbelief.
“How couldyouforget?You just admitted that the Faid were innocent and that you still work for the bad guys.“ I leveled both blades right at his stupid face.“Sit.I won’t tell you again.”
“Fine,” he snarled.
But he didn’t sit.With a sudden burst of speed, he charged towards me, a woman holding twin daggers with questionable sanity while wearing a wedding dress.I almost couldn’t believe his stupidity either.
Time slowed.
His fists were clenched, and fury blazed in his eyes.I braced myself, ready to meet his attack head-on, but at the last second, he feinted left, attempting to catch me off guard.I barely managed to sidestep his advance, especially in heels, and block his reach for one of his blades.
“You lose again, sucker,” I taunted, trying to keep my voice steady.
He pivoted and swung a wild haymaker in my direction.I ducked under the blow, my messed-up hair whipping across my face as I narrowly avoided the hit.
He lunged again.My body moved instinctively, fueled by adrenaline, by determination.I had fought for my life countless times before, but this time was different.This time, there was more at stake than just my own survival.
As he snatched for his blade again, I countered with a swift kick to his knee, forcing him off balance.He stumbled backward, pain flashing across his face, but I didn’t give him a chance to recover.Closing the distance between us, I delivered a fierce uppercut to his jaw.
