Page 5

Grace

OLIVIA AND I SPUN AROUND and raised our hands like we were being held at gunpoint.

The sight of four massive aliens had my heart racing. They looked furious, judging by the scowls on their faces as they came closer.

Yet Joele appeared to have a look of relief.

Olivia and I dropped our hands and shared a worried look.

A groan escaped from Riley. “They don’t look happy.”

“Let’s hope they are the good guys and we haven’t gone from bad to worse,” I remarked, ever hopeful.

I COULDN’T HELP BUT be curious as the striking aliens reached us.

One of them appeared to be a mix of two distinct races. His build resembled the others, but his tan-skin with pale peach stripes all over him made him stand out.

When they were close enough to see in great detail, I noticed his body was coated in short fur and his eyes, like amber gems, resembled those of a cat.

That’s not something you see every day.

He noticed me watching. A smirk spread across his face and he playfully wiggled his eyebrows. The sight of a thick furry tail wrapping around him left me wide-eyed.

I averted my gaze, feeling embarrassed at gawking.

My eyes roamed over each of them. They all possessed pointed ears, and were mostly shirtless and had Adonis-like physiques.

The one that stood out most to me was the third turquoise alien. He had large leather bands that criss-crossed over his chest.

I licked my lips as I drank him in. My eyes lingered over his long black hair, which was tied back, showing off sculpted high cheekbones, a chiseled jawline, and full, darker lips.

He personified male perfection.

The moment our eyes locked, my breath caught. Just as he looked away, I was certain I heard a low rumble emanating from his chest.

His self-assured stance conveyed his position of authority.

The other males wore a single sash across their chests and showed him deference. He must be their leader, I thought.

Their attire included trousers and heavy black boots. They wore bladed weapons on their backs and some sort of gun that adorned their hips.

Joele stepped forward and spoke to the leader in another language. He nodded before surveying the group of us and shaking his head.

Even though he did not speak English, the deep velvety tone of his voice affected me in ways I had never experienced before.

I cleared my throat, wondering what the hell was wrong with me, hoping he didn’t see my cheeks flaming to match my hair color.

Joele responded to him with a grin that the leader did not share.

He gestured to the shuttle, then barked something at his men. His eyes stopped on me again and he held my gaze for a long moment.

My body tingled in response as if he’d touched me.

To make matters worse, my pulse quickened with every second I stood before the alien leader.

I bit down on my lip when my gaze focused on his delicious looking blue lips.

The spell I’d fallen under was broken when Riley spoke up.

“Crap. Is this yours?” she asked with a shit-eating grin on her face while pointing at the shuttle.

Avery gave Riley a dirty look.

I shivered as I watched, wondering why she didn’t seem frightened.

The leader must have got the gist of what she’d asked, because he shot Riley an angry look.

Every time he looked at me, my body heated up all over again. His lips curved into a brief smile before turning back into a serious frown and averting his gaze.

My throat felt like sandpaper. Did the hot alien just check me out?

I shook my head and stepped back, hoping to avoid eye contact and prevent further humiliation.

In my entire life, I’d never behaved like this over any man. But he was an exceptionally good-looking alien and I could forgive myself just this once.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the leader snarling orders at the turquoise alien with close-cropped brown hair. The warrior hurried past us and onto the ship.

Mr.brown hair didn’t have the same effect on me as Mr.tall, blue, and sexy did.

I groaned at my thoughts. Seriously? What’s wrong with me?

Granted, I hadn’t had sex in a long, long time. But still. It wasn’t like me to lust over someone like this.

I pressed my lips and thighs together, holding back a chuckle over my body’s severe reaction.

These are alien males for goodness sakes. I doubt they even think humans are attractive.

Pull yourself together, Grace.

AFTER A FEW ANXIOUS moments, the warrior was in the ship’s doorway and I watched him nod to the leader.

In a matter of seconds, the alien with the tail and another turquoise warrior pointed us toward the ship, herding us like sheep.

“What the bloody hell?” Avery complained as she refused to budge.

It surprised me they opted to use their outstretched arms to block her instead of touching her.

Their intention was evident-they didn’t want to harm us.

Unsure of the situation, I swallowed. “Joele?”

Joele raised her hand and glanced at us women.

“They are Protectorate warriors. It’s safe to join them.” Her face grew more stern as she spoke to the leader again.

Frustrated, he responded, gesturing at us. Then glanced at me one more time before his expression turned sour.

These are the Protectorate warriors? I could get used to being rescued by them .

Avery let out an exasperated sigh. “How do we know if we can trust them?”

Joele shot Avery a serious look. “They abstain from participating in slavery and are highly esteemed for their integrity. It is a better choice than staying here.” She motioned toward the compound.

I didn’t have to deliberate on it; my decision was immediate. The idea of going with them filled me with excitement.

My stomach fluttered with anticipation as I stole another glance at the leader. His intriguing presence commanded my attention, drawing me in.

Even though they looked scary, their body language showed they meant no harm.

Avery stuck out her chin. “Do they plan on taking us home?”

The leader’s voice took on a sense of urgency as he spoke once more.

Joele looked over at us. “He said you are running out of time and should decide now.” She walked up the ramp and onto the shuttle done being our interpreter.

Their hands rested on the gun-like weapons at their hip. The tall aliens fixed their gazes on us.

I winced, pondering if their angry faces signaled their intention to shoot us rather than take us.

The leader gestured with a downward palm, prompting us to duck.

Above us, they raised their weapons and fired.

I looked back and saw our captors running toward us on their stumpy legs.

When I turned around, the leader of the attractive aliens made eye contact with me, silently pleading for me to join them on the ship.

Taking a quick breath, I sprinted up the ramp and turned around to see what was happening. I heard more yelling and shooting coming from behind me.

The leader and the alien with the cropped haircut continued to shoot as they walked backwards up the ramp.

Avery and Riley were carried onto the ship by two warriors, despite their protests, with Olivia following closely behind.

I hurried up the ramp alongside the leader and the other warrior. I wasn’t going to wait around to be sold to anyone.

Besides, there was a smoking hot alien that seemed intent on protecting me...er...us. I mean us.