I should have left him, she thought as the lock finally sprang open. I’ve killed my sisters and myself to rescue those responsible for us being in this position.
Jesse fell back and slid between the bench and the wall of the van as the huge male jerked the last of the chains off of him and wound them around his thick palms. She bit her lip as she watched him lean forward for a moment, as if waiting to attack. That was exactly what he did when they heard the muttered curse outside the door. All she saw was a blur of shadowy movement before the doors to the back of the van exploded outward.
Jesse didn’t wait to see what happened next. She had done what she could to save the huge alien. Now it was up to him to run back to his people. She had her own family to protect. Jumping from the back of the van, she rolled under it before sliding out the opposite side near where she had been hiding. She grabbed the black backpack and squeezed through the ripped sheet metal, ignoring the pain as it cut a deep slice across her stomach.
She ran as fast as she could away from the loud roars and the bloodcurdling screams that filled the night air behind her. She had finally come face to face with one of the aliens and it had left her shaken and confused. In the back of her mind, she hoped he survived and was able to get back to his people. Maybe he could convince the others of his kind that the Earth was better left to its own self-destruction.
Chapter 3
Hunter listened carefully, waiting to see when the human would return. He had worked a small blade out of the hemline of his vest. He was trying to break the metal band around his wrist when he heard the hushed sound of the latch on the door. Relaxing, he hid the blade in the palm of his hand.
It had been several hours since the last man had come out to check on him. He had hoped they felt confident enough in their chains and locks to wait a while but it would seem they were rightfully paranoid. He would have to work fast once the male left again if he was to save himself.
He frowned when the door barely opened before it closed again. He sniffed the air to see which of the humans had come in this time. He barely controlled his reaction when a delicate, sweet scent washed over him. He fought the urge to growl in frustration at not being able to taste the air with his tongue. He wanted to know if the air held the same sweet taste as the smell. He did not recognize this scent or understand why he felt such a need to know more about the human who carried it.
A moment later, a small beam of light illuminated the darkness. He could not see the figure of the human because of the way he was strapped down but he knew from the scent and breathing patterns that it was a female. It didn’t take long before the figure moved far enough to the front of the van for him to see.
Vivid dark brown eyes stared back at him in fear. He couldn’t see much of the female’s face because of the dark cloth that she had over most of her face but he swore he had never seen so much emotion in one set of eyes before. He wasn’t sure what this human wanted. She had not been with the others. He would have smelled her sweet scent if she had. A dark thought crossed his mind that she might belong to one of the males. He had not gotten close to the one that had driven the transport that he was in. He had only heard the male’s voice. A low rumble of rage swept through him that any female, much less the one staring back at him, would belong to such a male.
He listened as she spoke in a voice that was barely audible. She paused before ripping the cloth down from her nose and mouth. Her words were soft and it took a moment for the translator embedded in his ears to understand what she was saying.
His whole body tensed when she unwittingly rested her left hand on his stomach. The vibration of the purr that escaped him at her touch shocked him. The purr turned to a growl of anger when she jerked her hand off of him.
His eyes narrowed when she leaned over him to whisper in his ear. Her voice was very soft and held the faint tremor of fear. Her warm breath fanned over his cheek as she explained that she was in danger from the other humans as much as he was if she was caught.
His fists clenched as a fresh wave of rage washed through him at the thought of this female putting her life in danger for him. He forced himself to listen carefully as she explained what she was going to do and asked if he understood what she was saying. He nodded twice to show her he did.
Her fingers were icy cold and shaking as she carefully picked one side of the tape free. He never looked away from her, unsure of what she intended to do next. He hated being defenseless. He was at her mercy and that did not sit well with him as either a male or a Trivator warrior.