The Alien's Revenge - Ella Maven Page 0,60

the help and a dozen warriors fanned out behind him. Tethered to the back of his bike was another bike. Mine. I lowered my machets, because even I remembered raising them to my drexel meant a challenge.

He dropped his bike to rest on the ground, and the warriors behind him followed his example. He eyed me over his handlebars. “Drak.”

“You delay me,” I said over the rumble of the machines. “She left a path. I follow…on foot.”

Daz was silent for moment before he swung a leg over his bike and dismounted. He strode toward me, his gaze taking me in. “And what do you plan to do once you find her?”

“I will kill Crius and rescue her—”

“Crius is working with the Uldani. He might be taking her to Alazar on his own, but what if he’s not? What if he is traveling with a squad of Kulks? Do you have any idea how many you’ll have to fight on your own? If you die, what’ll happen to her then, huh, Drak?”

I gritted my teeth. I didn’t have time for this, I had to keep going—

Daz gestured behind him. “Drixonians are faster on our bikes and stronger together. We can take on five times as many Kulks. More than you alone, Drak.”

“No one … will fight harder for her … than me,” I said through clenched teeth.

He tore his hands through his hair, agitation shimmering in his eyes.

“You brought her to us because you admitted you couldn’t keep her safe with the Kulks after her. So now we’re here, standing with you. Fighting with you.”

When I didn’t respond, he dropped his head to stare at his feet before meeting my gaze with eyes burning a bright violet. “I’m sorry, Drak. We are all sorry. But you are no longer alone. I know you don’t feel like we can help you, but we can. We are here, right now, fighting for you and your mate. That is what Drixonians do. You are one of us. You always were.”

The words were simple, and since losing my voice I hadn’t placed much value on words. Until now. They weren’t just words—they were feelings with meanings and a promise. I’d spent so much time fighting on my own that I felt comfortable still fighting. Still battling. Still carrying that resentment deep in the pit of my stomach.

But I took a moment to clear my head, to really think about this. Daz had a point. If Crius had a squad of Kulks as backup, I’d be out of luck on my own. The last time I’d try to fight Crius and Kulks, I’d ended up beaten. Fleck my feelings. Fleck my pride. I needed Merr-anda back. Daz and the Night Kings would help me do that.

I nodded, and Daz’s shoulders sagged. He let out a long breath and retreated to his bike. He untethered mine and gestured to it. “It’s all yours.”

The bike sat between Ward and Gar. They watched me as I walked toward it and ran a hand over the body. The newly polished antella leather of the seat shown. I threw a leg over it, and with an exhale, sank down into it. Memories flashed. Riding with Ward. Laughing at Sax and Xavy as they raced. Rubbing oil into the leather to keep it supple.

The smell of the fuel surrounded me as I turned on the bike. The rumble underneath me felt like coming home, a steady purr vibrating through my body, infusing my blood with adrenaline and the need to fight. To draw the blood of those who dared to hurt my mate.

I revved the engine and nodded at Daz. A smile tipped his lips before he turned around. We rose into the air as one fighting force, and following the trail of purple petals, we raced to battle for my mate.

Miranda

I was fucking over this. The rope around my wrists hurt like hell and I had run out of flower petals about a mile ago. Crius hadn’t noticed I’d plucked every single inch of the bloom until I began to shred the stems too. Now my hands were empty, but I hadn’t stopped squirming or trying to yell around the gag he’d placed in my mouth. If he wanted to trade me to the Uldani shitheads so they could make me a breeder, I was going to make his life hell.

He hadn’t hurt me, but I didn’t trust him to follow the She is All creed. I couldn’t understand why he