My stomach fluttered with anticipation as I stole another glance at the leader. His intriguing presence commanded my attention, drawing me in.
Even though they looked scary, their body language showed they meant no harm.
Avery stuck out her chin. “Do they plan on taking us home?”
The leader’s voice took on a sense of urgency as he spoke once more.
Joele looked over at us. “He said you are running out of time and should decide now.” She walked up the ramp and onto the shuttle done being our interpreter.
Their hands rested on the gun-like weapons at their hip. The tall aliens fixed their gazes on us.
I winced, pondering if their angry faces signaled their intention to shoot us rather than take us.
The leader gestured with a downward palm, prompting us to duck.
Above us, they raised their weapons and fired.
I looked back and saw our captors running toward us on their stumpy legs.
When I turned around, the leader of the attractive aliens made eye contact with me, silently pleading for me to join them on the ship.
Taking a quick breath, I sprinted up the ramp and turned around to see what was happening. I heard more yelling and shooting coming from behind me.
The leader and the alien with the cropped haircut continued to shoot as they walked backwards up the ramp.
Avery and Riley were carried onto the ship by two warriors, despite their protests, with Olivia following closely behind.
I hurried up the ramp alongside the leader and the other warrior. I wasn’t going to wait around to be sold to anyone.
Besides, there was a smoking hot alien that seemed intent on protecting me...er...us. I meanus.
4
Trex
ONCE WE WERE BACK ONthe shuttle, I joined Aza, the pilot, listening to him curse the mess he had to sort out at the controls.
I was relieved when the ship rose into the air.
While aware of the females intense gaze on my back, I resisted the temptation to turn around for a couple of minutes, considering they wouldn’t understand me anyway.
The females had not spoken to me long enough for my translator to interpret their strange language.
Calti Joele’s ability to interpret what I was saying to the humans was something I was grateful for. Her translator allowed her to converse with them in their own language.
Those who lived in human colonies in Alaran space spoke galactic common. But these tiny humans did not speak the common tongue, which meant they were not from any human colony, nor Alaran space.
I wondered where they had come from, and how they’d ended up this far out.
Turning to the warrior next to Krin, I requested he give temporary translators to the females. He moved around the ship for several minutes before I heard him speak aloud.
“Can you understand me?” he asked one of the females.
I turned in time to catch my favorite female smile at him as she responded. “Yes. I can.”
My chest rumbled at their interaction.
Iwanted to be the one she smiled at that way.
