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Morgn’s grip on me tightened and I was grateful for it. His mouth brushed my ear.
“Do not say a word. Do not push me. You’ll regret it if I have to punish you, Alaina,” he said quietly, loud enough for only me to hear.
I obeyed.
“Taazar. You know I can’t allow this. You must remember the human species is much weaker than us. They are fragile. You’ve ruined this one. She’ll never fetch a high price at market,” he scoffed. “She was pretty too,” Ryder scolded the man.
“Fuck. Commander Nix will be displeased. What can I do?” Taazar replied, sounding confused at first and then more worried by the second.
“Unlock the stockade. We’ll get her to the medical tent. Hopefully, they’ll have access to technologies that might fix this, like they do ours,” Ryder replied.
“I can carry her. You can return to your rounds, Taazar?” Davon offered. I heard his footsteps climbing up the stairs.
“As always, I’m pleased when you offer to do my work, Davon,” Taazar replied as he opened the stocks, the wood creaking loudly. Morgn relaxed a bit then, allowing me to turn my head then.
Davon was exceedingly careful as he snaked his arms around her naked body, lifting her just as gently, but even so, she cried out in obvious pain. The woman, a redhead, stared forward with glassy eyes. The poor thing looked broken.
Davon was careful not to let me see the results of what Taazar had done.
Ryder looked back at Morgn, Aarom, and me and cocked his head.
“See to it that Alaina is taken to our tent and secured for the night. Davon and I will make sure that this human gets the medical attention she needs,” Ryder commanded. He held my gaze steady with his, demanding my surrender. My insides boiled with anger. Taazar deserved to pay for what he had done.
“Ryder will see to it that he never has possession of a human alone again,” Morgn whispered in my ear. “Trust him.”
His words dug into me. Sinking in. Consuming me completely.
Could I trust him? Should I? I would never know if I didn’t try.
“What’s her name?” I asked quietly. Ryder watched me. He’d heard every word.
Ryder moved toward her, taking her chin in his hand, stroking her cheek and wiping her tears away. I couldn’t help myself as I tensed, nervous for her.
“What do they call you, human?” he ventured gently but firmly. She looked up toward him, tears still rolling down her cheeks. She opened her lips and with as much effort as she could muster, whispered something I couldn’t quite make out.
Davon stepped back away from Taazar, who looked all too happy for my captors to take over his work for him.
Fucking bastard. I hope karma would catch up with him sooner rather than later.
I watched the woman as sweat beaded across her brow. Her eyes blinked heavily before they rolled back in her head as she passed out. I wanted to cry for her. I struggled in Morgn’s arms, but he didn’t let me go. Wouldn’t let me.
“Easy,” Morgn whispered. “Just a little longer. He has to leave.”
Taazar saluted Ryder, pounding a fist to his chest before he turned away and sauntered off in the direction of a line of white tents. With each step, he moved farther away and the tension within my limbs grew until finally, he dipped into one of the structures and disappeared from sight.
I couldn’t wait any longer.
I rushed forward and Morgn wasn’t quite prepared as I broke free from his grasp. I heard his steps follow me, and thankfully he didn’t jerk on the leash or force me to stop my forward momentum. Ryder and Davon climbed down from the stage and in scant seconds, I was able to touch her, make sure she was still alive.
My fingers snaked around her wrist. For a long moment, I waited with panic until I could feel her pulse, weak but steady. She was alive.
“Davon, go. Get her to medical. Now,” Ryder demanded, and Davon took off without a word at a steady sprint, moving as though the woman weighed nothing at all. I went to run after her, but Ryder gripped my wrist.
I stilled.
“What was her name?” I wondered aloud, struggling to hold back tears.
“She told me her name was Taera,” he replied.
