Page 89 of Captured By the Scaled Outlaw

He really believed I was going to kill him in favor of Nilsan. What an idiot.

I sigh so deeply that sand blows up into my face. Reaching for the bolt surrounded by a soft pile of flesh, I yank it out and toss it into Lowell’s lap. He recoils in disgust, but eyes it curiously.

After a few beats, Lowell’s eyes widen. He looks up at me in astonishment.

I giggle at his expression, a smile creasing my cheeks. “You dummy. I never even had a piercing bolt loaded. It’s just an average metal bolt with an explosive attachment.”

Lowell’s brows lift in the middle, his eyes filled with relief and adoration. “Why?”

I crouch beside him, laying my hand atop his. The slick scales are soft beneath the pads of my fingers. The fluttering in my chest assures me that I’ve made the right decision.

“In no reality was I ever going to shoot you.”

Lowell’s eyelids blink slowly. He looks confused, even angry.

“But you could have gone home!” he shouts before wincing and gripping his waist. “There is nothing here for you at Gaia 4. What Kinsley said—”

I shake my head to stop him. “It doesn’t matter what hesaid, bad or good. The moment I lifted my crossbow and saw that despite my bag being full of piercing bolts, I loaded the only explosive tip, I knew that my mind was made up. For once, I trusted how I felt rather than any rational thought,” I laugh. “Any sane person would have shot you.”

Lowell squeezes my hand, his body shaking from blood loss. “Damn, is this some sort of love confession?”

His crooked smile flushes my cheeks. The desire to kiss that stupid grin right off his face is overwhelming, and the warmth that radiates from his stare has butterflies dancing in my stomach.

“You’re delirious. I don’t have feelings for you,” I say, growing flustered.

Lifting my hand to his mouth, Lowell presses a delicate kiss to my skin. “Welcome to the team, May.”

I roll my eyes, but don’t hide my smile. “You wish.”

Epilogue

1 Year Later

“Two on the left, three on the right. Only one of them is a soldier, the others are civilians,” I call, adjusting my scope.

“You got a clean shot?” the voice asks through the speaker.

“I don’t need one,” I reply. “Just say when.”

The soldier keeps watch over the workers driving metal posts into the lush grass, taking a few steps away from the large metal door of the makeshift metal compound. While the soldier notices the lack of communication from his team members, he doesn’t look bothered. I was counting on their laziness, which proved to be correct.

I press the button on the receiver, my lips kissing the mesh. “Are they taken care of, yet?”

The speaker is silent.

With a flinch, the soldier lifts his radio from his chest to his ear. He listens intently.

Shit.

“They know you’re in there,” I say, my finger hovering over the trigger.

A few more soldiers rush in, abandoning their posts on the other side of the compound. A group of three soldiers converse with exaggerated hand movements as the civilian scientists working in the nearby tent appear worried.

I grumble to myself, shifting my crosshairs to a flammable containernear the group. If I shoot it, the civilians will be caught in the crossfire.

“If I do not receive orders, I’m following through with Plan C,” I say.

The speaker hisses, sounds of shouts and screams bursting from the tiny box.