Page 27 of Wrapped in Their Arms

He looked atBurn, who was still snarling, still gripping the bars like he could tear them apart through sheer force of will.ButevenBurncouldn’t bend theSkowalloy, though he tried with all his might.

“Fuck!”he grunted, his muscles rippling with effort.“Fuck…fuck…fuck!”

At last he stopped, panting and the hallway returned to silence except for the steady whimpering of their fellow prisoner, calling for his mother.

Then even that stopped and only their heavy breathing and the distant hum of the ship filled the space.

Bright turned and leaned back against the door, letting his head thump softly against the metal.Hisheart still wouldn’t stop racing because the feeling thatNoellewas in danger wouldn’t leave him.

What’s happening to her?Whatis that little orange bastard doing to her?

There was no logical reason for the feeling—he andBurnhad noSoulBondwith her, no psychic link or mating tie.Butstill…

Heknew.Somethingwas wrong.Noellewas in danger—horrible things might be happening to her.

And they were locked in a damn cell while they happened.

Please,he thought, clenching his eyes shut.Please,Goddess… protect her.Don’tlet her be hurt.

He had never felt so helpless in his life.

And the worst part was… he was starting to realize he already loved her and there was nothing he could do to save her.

14

NOELLE

The world went dark.

Black liquid filled her nose…her mouth…her eyes.Thestuff wrapped around her limbs and pulled tight, dragging her down, deeper into the thick, suffocating sludge.

She kicked wildly, finding the surface at last—arms flailing, lungs burning as she dragged in a breath.

No—no, no,NO!I’mnot going to die like this!Nothere—not in some alien beauty spa on a prison ship!

But the grip around her ankle only tightened… and then another tendril wrapped around her wrist.

Then another around her waist.

Something with too many fingers pressed against her stomach.

BlessedVirgin!she thought, panic exploding in her chest.There’ssomething in here with me and it’s got me!

The thought ripped throughNoelle’smind, filling her with sheer, whitehot panic as she was pulled violently downward.

The black sludge rushed over her head again, smothering everything—light, air, sound.Thestuff wasn’t liquid.Itwasn’t even mud.Itwas thicker, stickier—as if she’d been dragged into the depths of some industrial vat full of hot, viscous tar.

Her arms flailed in the suffocating darkness, but she couldn’t get to the surface again.Shetried to scream, but the black goo flooded into her mouth.

Dios,Ican’t breathe—can’t breathe!

Her lungs burned.Fireworksexploded behind her eyelids.Herheart was thundering so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest.

Then—abruptly—her head broke the surface.

Noelle burst upward with a strangled gasp that tore from her throat.

Oh, thank theVirgin—air!Sweet, coldair.