Caught Between Two Blue Aliens - Celia Kyle Page 0,15
talking about? They thought she was some kind of “Oso.” What did that even mean? Maybe she should’ve spent more time learning about Drokten physiology and customs.
“But there are so many other—” Wells tried again.
“She is no longer a concern of the humans,” Hiren interrupted Wells firmly.
Jenna stumbled back from the wall, stunned by what she’d heard and consumed by fear. This couldn’t be really happening. Right? The Drokten sounded utterly serious, but that was insane. The aliens couldn’t just kidnap whoever they wanted Right? Right?
Adrenaline rushed through her body. Oh hell no. She had to get the hell out of here. Now. These males were nice, and she was happy to have had a chance to warn them of the secretary’s plans and to meet them in person, but she had a brother and sister counting on her to return tonight, and nothing was going to get in the way of her being at that apartment by midnight. Nothing.
Her work here was done. Time to go home.
The tiny room she’d been left in was the sort she’s seen many times as a server. She’d navigated event spaces like this countless times in the past. She felt along the edge of the wall…There was always a secondary exit that led to a hallway that ran along to the kitchen quarters. From there, she knew she could duck through one of the many passageways that led to freedom.
She finagled with the moveable walls and managed to slip through the side, staying silent as a mouse. She made her way through a maze of small utility rooms and out a side door. Jenna crept down a quiet hallway, adjacent from the guards still stationed in front of her little “cell.” At this time of night this entire section was empty. She stuck close to the walls, and as soon as she was far enough away, she sprinted for the service elevator.
She was breaking more rules than she could count, but she’d be damned if she let a pair of startlingly good-looking, powerful warriors strip her of her life. She had duties. Responsibilities. A brother and sister who depended on her and who loved and needed her around.
She had to get out of Drokten Main and put distance between herself and that cursed party. Maybe, if she kept her head down and stayed out of trouble, she could put this gigantic disaster behind her. After all, Secretary Wells was right. She was just a boring, working-class human girl. Surely, two powerful, famous, well-known alien leaders wouldn’t care enough to chase after one insignificant human woman. Right?
At least, she hoped so…
Five
“Mommy, Mommy… what is that thing?” a child’s warbling voice broke through the sounds of passing cars and pedestrians, fear in the young one’s words.
“Oh my god, I don’t know. Hurry get out of its way.” The mother’s equally fearful tone grated on Hiren’s nerves.
Hiren shook his head and managed to ignore the pounding feet and the screams of terror from the beings he strode past on the busy street. It never ceased to amaze him how many of these humans were still unused to the Drokten. Or any species other than their own, considering they’d been nearly conquered by the Zignills almost two planetary cycles ago.
Ridiculous.
Normally he had infinite patience for these human idiosyncrasies, and the fact that they’d been rudely forced into inter-species interaction through a near apocalypse. He usually did his best to understand and soothe the human’s fears, but today he was focused on one objective—finding his Oso. Wayward, terror-filled humans were an unwelcome distraction.
His Azi, Sevith, stormed out of the third diner they’d checked that morning and Hiren glanced over at him expectantly.
Sevith sighed and shook his head. “Jenna Perry is not an employee there either.”
A low growl rumbled in Hiren’s chest, which he knew was uncharacteristic for a Bahn, but these unusual circumstances were bringing out his long-dormant possessive instincts. “What took you so long?” he asked out loud, not bothering with their link and caring less if the humans overheard them. “We need to move quickly.”
Sevith threw him a grim smile. “I was busy interrogating the being in charge of the establishment.”
Heh. “But you tipped the server, right?” Hiren replied as they started down the street to the next location on their list. “It is customary on this part of the planet to leave hard currency on the table for whoever serves food and drink, based on a percentage of the total bill.”