He sucked in a breath, taking in the ruins of their shuttle.
It was a crumpled, destroyed mess.
Damn, he was lucky he was still alive. His gut cramped. Where was Airen?
Panic was like acid in his throat. He didn’t see her. Donovan wasn’t used to panicking. God, fuck, had she made it? Had these assholes hurt her? His heart thundered. Where was she?
Suddenly, he realized the nearby conversation had stopped. He glanced over and saw the men looking his way.
A big one rose and sauntered over. His leather-and-fur boots crunched on the rocky ground. The man had rough, orange skin, almost reptilian looking. A coat made from some animal was wrapped around his big body.
“You’re alive.” The alien had a deep, rumbling voice like thunder.
“Yeah, feel like shit, though.”
The alien smiled, showing teeth that looked like sharp, broken points. Up close, Donovan saw the man also had tattoos on his skin—rough, uneven ones. They hadn’t been done by any artist or expert.
They looked like prison tattoos.
“My name is Crux. Welcome to Oblivion.”
“We weren’t meant to land here. We were shot down.”
“Sorry to hear that.” Crux grunted. “Anyone who ends up on Oblivion never gets off.”
Well, Donovan had no plans to stay, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
The alien pointed to the purple-blue sky. “They have a planetary security field. Lets ships in, but not out. Only way out is through the prison command base, where the wardens are.” Crux smiled, showing jagged teeth. “The wardens don’t let anyone off.”
Donovan’s stomach dropped. Fuck. “I wasn’t alone—”
“Oh, we know.”
The way the man drawled the words made Donovan’s blood run cold. “Where is she?” Be alive, Airen.
“She’s still breathing.”
Donovan ground his teeth together. He knew he had to play the game to get himself and Airen out of here alive. “So, you got any food you can share?”
The man eyed him for a second, then pulled out a giant knife.
Donovan tensed, then Crux reached up and sliced through the bindings at Donovan’s ankles.
He hit the ground, pausing for a second to catch his breath. He ignored all the aches and pains rising up through his body. He rubbed his sore ankles, then rose, stretching his back.
“You look like a strong one. A good addition to our clan.”
“Sounds good.” Donovan forced his voice to stay even.
“We all look out for each other. Hunt, fight, survive. It’s necessary in this place. Alone, you won’t last very long.”
Donovan nodded. Together, they moved toward the fire.
“My companion…” Donovan began.
Crux’s lime-green eyes narrowed. “Women are good for one thing, friend.” The alien’s ugly grin made it clear what he thought that was. “I like them screaming and clawing under me.”
Donovan barely restrained himself from knocking the man out. “She’s mine.”
“Not anymore,” Crux said.
Donovan stiffened.
The alien laughed, and slapped Donovan’s back, hard. “You still have a chance to claim her back.”
“Oh?” Keep your cool.
“Yeah, in the hunt.”
Donovan followed the man’s gaze, and his heart swelled about three times its size. He spotted Airen in a small cage. She was crouched, naked, her fingers gripping the dark wooden bars. She glared at them.
He sucked in a breath. She was alive. The bastards had stripped her, but she was alive.
Play the game. Get Airen, then get the fuck away from here.
Donovan glanced up. He knew the Kantos would come. And he and Airen couldn’t afford to be anywhere near the crash site when they did.
“Okay.” He turned toward the fire. “What’s the hunt?”
“Any females we find, we set them loose. Then we hunt ’em down.” Crux laughed. “Whoever catches the prize gets to claim her. Then she’s yours to fuck as you please.”
Donovan breathed through his nose. You can’t kill him. Not yet. “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.” He tried to keep his tone light.
“What’s a horse?”
“Big animal on my planet.”
“Well, we have food and drink. Come meet the others and rest up, so you can see if you can claim back your woman.”
Chapter Ten
Airen nursed her fury.
She was locked up, naked, and her captors were drinking and eating like they didn’t have a care in the world.
And Donovan was there laughing with them. After that first long look, he hadn’t even glanced her way once.
A cold wind rushed over her and she shivered. She was cold, naked, and hungry. She still had some aches and fading bruises from the crash, but thankfully, by some stroke of luck, she wasn’t badly injured. Her helian was healing the worst of her minor scrapes.
She shivered again. She could give herself