Page 116 of Bride of the Enemy Alien

It is mine.

“No.”

Rhazek bares his teeth. The restraints at his wrists creak as his hands pull apart. The damaged wing shudders against the floor pin.

The gray male lifts the control wand.

“You broke the transmission,” he says. “Admirable. But a live response pair is more valuable than a packet.”

“Go lick a guster’s ass.”

The wand turns in his hand. The hook at Rhazek’s throat flashes.

Rhazek’s hands jerk against the restraints again, harder this time. Not toward the console. Toward the front of the cage. Toward me.

I know what they’re doing before he moves another inch. They’re not trying to make him kill me. They’re using the part of him that wants to protect me.

That is so much worse.

The receiver pulses my rhythm again and Rhazek’s gaze locks on mine. Green burns through the black and gold of his eyes, but he’s still there. Furious. Fighting.

“Don’t,” I tell him.

His lip lifts from his teeth.

I don’t know if the sound he makes is meant for me or the machine. I decide it’s for the machine because I need that to be true.

Gray tilts his head, fascinated. “Protective response confirmed.”

“Stop talking about us like we’re bugs in a jar.”

“Bugs? No, no. You are considerably more useful.”

Thoughts racing, but the only thing I can think of is to keep taunting Gray. Try to get him to make a mistake. If nothing else, smarting off keeps the terror from taking over.

“You’re not helping your case.”

The ring tightens and I bite back a cry. Rhazek reacts instantly.

The cage bars groan under his hands. The receiver flares.

Of course. My pain feeds his reaction. His reaction feeds the receiver. The entire thing is a loop designed to make us prove ourselves every time one of us tries to protect the other.

I force my weight off the trapped ankle and straighten as much as I can.

“Rhazek.”

The hook flashes at his name. His body bows, then snaps upright. Gray smiles. I should stop saying his name. I don’t.

“Rhazek, look at me.” His one unswollen eye finds mine. “You don’t touch me because they tell you to.”

The green light surges. His hands close around the cage bars. For one awful second I think he’s going to rip them apart and I don’t know what will happen. Then his grip changes and he stops pulling.

The machine pulses again.

His arms shake, but he stays where he is. There he is. I’ve got him.

Gray’s smile disappears.