Page 20 of Charmed by the Alien Warrior (Spirit Mates of the Laediriian Exiles #2)

Mara

“Come out, wherever you are, human.”

I immediately recognize Sevvern’s smug voice, and I roll my eyes. Does he seriously think I’ll just crawl out of my hiding place because he ordered me to? Like we’re playing some twisted game of hide-and-seek.

The silence that follows is suffocating, the tension hangs so thick in the air it feels like a weight pressing down on my chest. My heart thunders against my ribs, each beat so loud I’m certain they can hear it. The shuffle of footsteps grows louder as they move further into the corridor and closer to my hiding place.

Carefully, I reach for the large hunting knife Sorrin gave me, sliding it from its sheath with a deliberate slowness to avoid any noise. My fingers tighten around the hilt until the edges bite into my skin.

I’m not going to let fear take over—not after everything I’ve survived. Not now.

The knife feels awkward in my hand. Too large and clumsy for someone like me who’s more used to avoiding danger. But I’m not going to back down this time. I can’t . Because Sorrin is here, and I’ll be damned if I let him face these assholes alone. Especially when it’s clear they’ve come for me.

I freeze, every muscle in my body taut, not daring to even breathe. The silence around me feels deafening, broken only by the muffled shuffling of footsteps inching closer. I know Sorrin is here, somewhere, and I can feel the tension rolling off him like the electric charge of a building storm.

Sevvern’s voice cuts through the silence again. His low, mocking chuckle makes my skin crawl. “You’ve grown soft, Sorrin. Fighting to protect a human now? How far you’ve fallen.”

My teeth clench, my grip tightening on the knife until my knuckles ache. What an asshole.

I slowly lean around the corner of the crate and risk a glance at Sorrin. He’s crouched beside a stack of crates at the entrance to the corridor, his muscles coiled like a spring, waiting for the right moment to strike. His gaze flickers to me for the briefest moment, and I can see the fierce resolve in his eyes. He looks exactly like what he is—a warrior, a protector. And he’s protecting me. That realization sends warmth rushing through me, even in the middle of this nightmare.

I press myself back against the side of the crate, trying to make myself as small as possible. If I can just stay hidden until Sorrin takes them down, we’ll make it out of this. We’ll be okay. He’ll be okay.

But my stomach churns with too many what ifs . What if there’s too many? What if he… No. I cut off the thought before it can grow and take hold. I don’t have the luxury of doubt right now. Not when everything hangs in the balance.

A shadow looms over me, and I barely have time to react before a hulking Pugj leans over the crate I’m hidden behind. His gaze latches onto me with a predatory glint. I let out a yelp at his sudden appearance and scramble backward, landing on my butt with a jarring thud.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Bigfoot’s mouth stretches wide in a grin full of serrated teeth, and I’m reminded that these guys are known to eat their victims. His long claws flex as he takes another step toward me, and I can already imagine the damage they’ll inflict on me.

My heart races as I press back against the wall. I’m trapped with nowhere to go. The wall is at my back, and the only thing left to do is fight. I grip the knife tightly in my hand, but it feels pitiful compared to the massive weapons that tip each one of his fingers. Still, I hold it steady, even though I feel as if I’m trembling all over.

Bigfoot is close, his claws just a couple of inches away from me when Sorrin strikes. He moves so fast it’s almost a blur. One moment, he’s crouched behind the crates and the next his sword is buried deep in the Pugj’s hairy hide. Bigfoot lets out a strangled shriek of rage that makes my ears ring before he collapses in a heap with blood quickly pooling around him.

I barely get a second to breathe before the second Pugj lunges at Sorrin, claws aimed at his chest. My stomach twists as Sorrin narrowly dodges out of the way just in time, moving with a graceful speed that’s almost hypnotic. The Pugj stumbles with the momentum of his attack, nearly going down before he regains his balance.

The battle plays out in front of me, and I can’t tear my gaze away. The Pugj is massive with arms and legs as thick as tree trunks—at least, the kind we have back on Earth. But Sorrin fights like a man possessed, every movement deadly and precise. His sword arcs in the air as if it’s an extension of his arm as he uses it to slash and parry each of his opponent’s brutal hits.

But this isn’t just a fight anymore—it’s something more. Sorrin is throwing everything he has into it. It’s painfully clear that he’s ready to sacrifice himself for me. The thought twists in my chest like a knife. I won’t let it happen. He can’t die. Not for me. Not now that I’ve realized…

A flicker of movement draws my attention. It’s the other Laediriian warrior. Terrik. He’s sneaking along the edge of the corridor with a long knife in his hand and his cold gaze fixed on Sorrin’s back. His eyes gleam like a predator as he closes in on his prey. Sorrin’s too focused to notice, too locked into the fight to see what’s coming.

My heart pounds in my ears and time seems to slow down to a crawl. Fear grips me, settling in my stomach like a ball of hot acid. But it’s not fear for me. It’s fear for Sorrin. I can’t just sit here and watch him die in front of me.

My palms are sweaty, but my fingers clench around the hilt of my own knife, holding it tightly as anger rises in me. He’s not going to take Sorrin from me.

Squaring my shoulders, my grip tightens on my knife as I push myself up before I slip into the shadows. My steps are soft as I creep toward Terrik, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Either he doesn’t notice me or if he does, he doesn’t consider me a threat.

I’m just a human, after all. Just a female. Someone weak and insignificant.

And that dismissal makes my anger burns hotter, fueled by every callous face that’s ever stared me down. Everyone that told me my mom ran off and left us. Everyone that told me to move on and to stop being so difficult. And most importantly, that unapologetic smirk on Don’s face when he saw me at the sentencing. They all flash before my eyes.

Terrik isn’t just one man. He’s every man that thinks they can take without asking, destroy without consequences. But not today. I slip from the shadows, my eyes locked on Terrik. Sorrin’s not dying here, not if I have anything to say about it.

I’m nearly there, the sounds of Sorrin’s fight mixes with the rushing in my ears. I can see the tense lines in his body as he dodges another swipe from the large Pugj. Unlike his first opponent, this one is much bigger and a more skilled fighter, but even I can tell that Sorrin is holding his own. But it’s taking up every bit of his concentration.

Terrik raises his arm and his muscles tense as he readies for a fatal strike. My heartbeat is pounding in my ears, but my fear for Sorrin almost seems to sharpen my focus until all I can see is the large warrior just a few feet away.

I grit my teeth and with a shout, throw myself forward, plunging my knife straight into his back. His body jerks in shock, and I twist the knife as I press it deeper, causing even more damage. Blood pours from the wound in thick rivulets down his back, staining my hands.

Terrik drops his blade and staggers forward a few steps before whipping around, his hands clawing at his back, but it’s no use. The damage has been done.

His face contorts into a mixture of disbelief and fury. “You filthy insectoid!” Terrik snarls, spittle flying from his mouth and splattering on my face.

He tries to lunge for me, but his strength is fading fast. Instead, he drops to the floor, landing hard on his knees. Red foam bubbles from his lips, and with one last gasp, he collapses face down.

My hands are shaking, but at Sorrin’s guttural cry, I turn to watch as his sword slices through the neck of the Pugj warrior, ending the fight in a brutal spray of blood. He breathes heavily, looking up, his eyes finding mine.

But then his eyes widen in shock as they focus on something behind me. Before I can even react, rough hands grab me, abruptly yanking me back against a solid chest. The sudden force knocks the air from my lungs. A hard arm clamps around my chest like iron, immobilizing me, and the cold bite of a knife presses against my skin.

Fuck. Of course, it would be that bully, Sevvern. He stayed out of the battle, watching from the safety of the shadows, but now, with the bodies of his allies littered in the hallway, he’s decided to make his move.

At the sight of me held captive, Sorrin releases a roar of fury that echoes off the walls, and I watch as he freezes, his muscles going rigid and his eyes wild with fear as he takes in the scene—me in Sevvern’s grip and a knife at my throat. He steps forward, slowly, his body tense with barely contained rage.

I almost gag as the sour, fetid scent of Sevvern’s breath wafts over me. No wonder he was so chummy with the Pugj, he smells just as bad as they do. My stomach churns, nausea clawing at my gut, and I struggle against him, ramming my elbow against his stomach in an attempt to get loose.

But it’s like hitting a brick wall. Sevvern barely flinches, only tightening his hold. The blade digs deeper, and I feel a sting of pain as warm blood trickles down my neck.

“Stay still, human,” Sevvern hisses, his voice dripping with sadistic delight. “Or I’ll see how quickly I can drain you dry.”

His voice sends a shiver of revulsion down my spine. Panic surges through me, but I force myself to stay calm. If I move even an inch, I know the blade will slice deeper into my flesh.

“I see you’ve picked up a few tricks,” Sevvern sneers at Sorrin, his mocking tone scraping over my nerves like sandpaper. “But you’re still that weak, sniveling youngling underneath it all.”

He takes a step back, pulling me with him as he angles us toward the end of the corridor, tugging me along like a human shield. Across the room, Sorrin stands frozen, his muscles tense as if he’s just barely holding himself back. His eyes flicker from me to Sevvern, and I can tell he’s weighing his next move.

“Let her go.” Sorrin’s voice is a low dangerous growl, and there’s an edge of desperation in it that makes my chest ache. “This is between us, Sevvern. She has nothing to do with it.”

“Oh, but she has everything to do with it,” Sevvern chuckles darkly, his arm tightening around me. The knife bites deeper, and I swallow back a gasp, refusing to give him the satisfaction.

Sorrin’s gaze drops to the blood trailing down my neck. The sight transforms his expression from fury to something darker. His knuckles whiten around the hilt of his sword, and the protective fire blazing in his eyes burns even hotter.

I want to tell him not to worry, to not risk his life for mine, but the words are stuck in my throat. My heart feels like it’s going to burst from my chest, every muscle in my body trembling. The knife is so sharp, so close to my skin, that even breathing feels dangerous.

Sorrin takes a step forward right into a beam of light from one of the fixtures overhead. "If you don’t release her, I will make you wish for death.” His voice is low and controlled, but I can see the fiery swirl of emotion in his eyes. They’re the bright, molten gold that I’ve noticed only happens when he feels strong emotions.

Sevvern tilts his head, his gaze narrowing on Sorrin. “Your eyes…” His voice trails off in confusion. “They’re gold.”

He spits the last words out almost as if they’re an accusation, and I watch as Sorrin freezes in place, his golden gaze pinned on Sevvern.

The words hang in the air, heavy with meaning I don’t fully understand. I’ve seen Sorrin’s eyes change to gold plenty of times over the last few days, and I’ve just chalked it up to another one of those things that makes Laediriians different from us humans—they have eyes that change colors with their emotions.

After a moment of charged silence, Sevvern releases a barking laugh. Spittle flies out of his mouth and lands on my cheek.

“Oh ho! She’s your mate.” His arm tightens around me, bruising my ribs and making me gulp down a gasp of pain. But it’s his words that really stun me. “This creature is your amoris mate. Your second heart beats for her.”

His words hit me like a physical blow. My gaze locks with Sorrin’s, and I don’t need him to confirm it. The truth is already written in the molten gold of his eyes. He’s my mate. My amoris.

Everything Haley tried to explain to me finally clicks into place. The way he’s been in my thoughts constantly, the pull I feel toward him, and the ball of warmth that has lodged itself in my chest like sunshine on a rainy day… it all makes sense.

It’s him. It’s always been him.

I didn’t believe in the mate bonds, but this? This all-consuming desire to be with him, to never part, to protect him, and cherish him. It’s exactly how Haley has described the amoris bond with Draggar.

And now that I’ve acknowledged the truth, that ball of warmth that has seemed to follow me around for days grows and expands shooting through my veins with a tingling sensation and spreading through my body energizing me. It grows into something fierce and unbreakable stretching between us like a physical tether.

And I know, without a doubt, that I have to do something. I’m not just going to stand here and allow this overgrown bully to win. Not when I have something worth fighting for.

My mind races, searching for any possible way out. The knife at my throat is so close, but maybe I can distract him. If I can throw Sevvern off balance for just a moment, it might give us an opportunity to get out of this.

“Why are you doing this?” The question bursts out of me, and it almost seems to shock Sevvern as much as it does me.

His steps falter and he pauses our backwards march. Sevvern cocks his head at me, studying me with a glacial gaze as if he’s trying to decide whether my question is even worth an answer.

For a moment, I think he’s going to ignore me. But then he chuckles—a deep, unsettling sound that fills the hallway, as cold and cruel as the look in his eyes.

“Because I want power,” he sneers.

Of course he does. Another self-obsessed monster, willing to crush anyone beneath him if it means he gets to be on top. And just like every other arrogant villain, he can’t resist bragging about his plot. It’s so stereotypical, I almost roll my eyes.

“I’ve made a deal with the Pugj. Once I help them conquer Laedirissae, I will become the ruler of all remaining Laediriians. And the first step to doing that is eliminating the Anuriix tribe.” Sevvern’s gaze slides to Sorrin, a smug, twisted smile on his face.

People like Sevvern don’t care about anyone but themselves. They’d destroy the world just to rule over its ruins. Anything as long as they have power. It’s the exact same kind of behavior that happens back on Earth—selfish men sacrificing whoever they have to as long as they’re at the top. They lie, they destroy, and they think they can walk away with blood on their hands and get away with it. And quite frankly, I’m sick of it.

I’m done being a victim. I’m done being at someone else’s mercy. And I’m definitely done with this shit.

“What does that have to do with me?” I ask, keeping my eyes trained on Sorrin and drawing strength from him even as Sevvern’s arm tightens around me.

Sorrin doesn’t like this any more than I do. His gaze never leaves me as he restlessly shifts, as if he can’t remain still. I can almost feel his brain running through every scenario trying to figure out how to get me safely away from Sevvern.

“ You …” Sevvern’s arm tenses around me as if to emphasize his words. “Will be incentive enough to get warriors to fight for me.”

His words send a chill skittering down my spine. But then I see Sorrin’s face, and that fear shrivels in the heat of his stare. His knuckles turn stark white as they clench around the hilt of his weapon, and the expression on his face is so hard it looks like it’s been made of stone. There’s a furious, protective fire blazing in his eyes, as if he’s only seconds away from tearing Sevvern apart with his bare hands.

He steps forward, keeping pace with Sevvern’s backward retreat. Sweat runs down his face, mingling with streaks of blood. I can see the strain, the way his chest is rising and falling like he’s run a marathon. He’s holding himself back, and I know it’s only because he’s terrified of harming me if he attacks now.

Sevvern’s chuckle grates on my nerves. “Look at him, human,” he sneers again, twisting his head to glance at Sorrin. “He’s a beast on a leash. Leashed by you. But then that’s to be expected from the Anuriix. They’re all beasts.”

But Sorrin doesn’t rise to the bait. His voice is hard and steady when he asks, “What grievance do you have with my tribe?”

“The Anuriix poisoned my land. They’re starving my tribe.” Sevvern accuses.

“That’s a lie, and you know it!” Sorrin snaps, his voice like a crack of thunder.

Sevvern’s grin widens, sickeningly triumphant. “Ah, but the other tribes don’t know that, do they? Even now, my warriors are spreading tales of the Anuriix’s treachery across Laedirissae. Soon, every tribe will hate you, and no one will help you when we come for your tribe. And I will be crowned as the king.”

Sevvern drags me another couple of steps backward, and Sorrin mirrors the movement, each of his steps deliberate. We’re nearly at the end of the hallway, with only a few more feet left. I have to stall him. I have to keep him talking just a little longer.

“I don’t understand…” I manage to rasp out, forcing the words past the tight band of Sevvern’s arm across my chest. Each breath feels harder to take, like there’s a vice squeezing my lungs. “Didn’t Haavor make the same deal with them?”

Sevvern’s grip tightens, and he chuckles, his breath hot and sour against my skin. “Ha! He is nothing but a fool. The Pugj plan to discard him the moment he’s outlived his usefulness.”

Sorrin’s eyes narrow. “ You are the fool, Sevvern! There is no loyalty among the Pugj. Not for us. They’re using you, just like they’re using Haavor. And when they’re done, you’ll be nothing but a dead traitor.” His words cut through the air like a blade.

Sevvern’s expression flickers just for an instant, and I can sense the doubt creeping in as he hesitates before taking another step backwards, dragging me with him.

Good. My heart pounds with resolve, and I know this may be the chance I’ve been waiting for. Because villains like him never see it coming when their plans start to unravel, and he won’t expect me to move.

He shifts his stance slightly and his grip loosens just the barest fraction, but it’s enough. In that split second, I move.

It’s not much, just a shift of my weight, but it’s enough to make Sevvern falter. His grip on me slips, and I seize the moment, throwing myself to the side and out of his grasp.

Sevvern reaches for me, but I scramble away from him until I end up pressed against the wall. Sorrin lets loose with a roar that pierces the air around us as he charges forward, his blade raised high in the air.

The fight is brutal and over quickly. Sevvern only has enough time to unsheathe his own sword before Sorrin is on him, driving him back with furious swipes of his blade before driving it into his chest with one last, final thrust.

Sevvern stumbles back, his face contorting as Sorrin’s sword sinks deep into his chest, and he crumples to the floor, his eyes wide in disbelief as he stares up at Sorrin standing over him.

“You won’t win,” he gasps in a weak voice. Blood bubbles from his mouth. “We are too strong, and we have too many helping us. Even your own tr-” His eyes roll back in his head as the last breath leaves his lips in a rattle.

And then it’s over.

The silence crashes over me, deafening in its suddenness. My legs buckle beneath me, and I sink to the floor, the adrenaline draining away in a rush that leaves me trembling. I can’t believe we made it. We’re alive.

Sorrin is at my side in an instant, dropping to his knees beside me. He pulls me into his arms, gently cradling me against his chest. For the first time, I completely let go. I lean into him, pressing my forehead to his chest and clinging to the steady strength of his embrace.

His breathing is uneven, ragged with exhaustion and emotion, and I can hear the thunderous rhythm of his heart beneath my ear. No—his hearts. Two hearts. He has two hearts and one of them beats just for me.

"You’re safe.” His voice is hoarse with emotion. "I have you."

The simple declaration unravels the last of my defenses. I bury my face against the curve of his neck, drawing in the warm, spicy scent of him. It grounds me, pulling me back from the brink of shock. My body shudders as the adrenaline ebbs away entirely, leaving me raw and vulnerable.

But Sorrin is here. He’s alive, and I’m alive. We made it.

And for now, that’s enough.

His hands are gentle as they cup my face. When I meet his gaze, the intensity there steals what little breath I have left.

“I told you,” He murmurs, his voice rough with emotion. “I’ll protect you. Always.”

And I believe him. In his arms, I believe in everything.