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My hand instinctively tightened around her, my thumb gently brushing the soft skin of her arm in a feeble attempt to soothe her.
“Easy,” I murmured, “I won’t let them harm you.”
She nodded against my chest, her grip on my shirt tightening as she buried her face deeper into me.
We both froze as the muffled sounds of the two Katari males echoed through the room.
My senses heightened, the usual hum of the inn fading away as I focused on the alien duo rummaging through Madison’s room.
The murmur of their voices barely reached us, the words indecipherable but the tone unmistakably lewd.
I felt Madison shiver against me, her body growing rigid as the lecherous laughter of the Katari males reached our ears.
The sour smell of her fear was stronger now, mingling with the musky scent of my skin and the stale air of the room.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to focus.
I had to keep Madison safe.
“Shh,” I whispered, my golden eyes focusing on the locked door.
It was sturdy and reinforced with galactic steel, strong enough to keep out unwanted intruders.
But I kept a careful watch nonetheless.
After what seemed like an eternity, the noises from the next room ceased, replaced by disgruntled muttering.
The silence that followed was deafening, heavy with anticipation.
A few more minutes ticked by, each second stretching into infinity.
I slowly pulled away from her, keeping my arms loosely around her as I met her eyes.
She looked up at me, her eyes red-rimmed and tear-stained but free from the terror that had filled them earlier.
The monsters in the next room hadn’t finished their searching yet, but the tenseness began to recede.
“Thank you,” she said softly, her voice barely audible over the sounds of the inn.
The sincerity in her eyes hit me like a bolt of electricity, leaving me momentarily stunned.
“You’re safe now, Madison,” I reassured her, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.
Her smile, small and shaky, was the most beautiful thing I had seen in a long time.
Maybe, just maybe, this unexpected encounter was the start of something new, something brighter in this dark corner of the galaxy.
As the Katari voices grew louder, I could make out snippets of their conversation.
The walls were thin, and their raucous laughter was crude and high-pitched, carrying easily through the barrier.
“D’you think she’s hiding in there?” one of them asked, his voice sleazy and full of ill-intent.
The other chuckled, a low grating sound. “Let’s find out, shall we?”
A heavy, anticipatory silence fell as I heard the shuffle of footsteps coming closer to our adjoining door.
Madison’s gripon my arm tightened.
