Instead of continuing to stand here and attempt to make something out of a failed conversation with this scaled male, I needed to figure out where I was and how I could return home. There had to be a reason he was trapping me here within his wall of scales, preventing me from leaving the confines of this room.
I would do whatever was necessary to escape. My sudden lack of a communicator and weakened state wasn’t ideal, but I couldn’t stay here. Not when my clanmates’ lives were on the line.
My life was no longer just mine, and I couldn’t allow anyone to control me any longer.
“Look, it’s been nice. Thank you for”—I glanced around his coil wall once more, trying to find the best way to exit this scaled prison—“allowing me to sleep here, but it’s time for me to go.” Frantically, I traced the layers and discovered the easiest path to climb. “And find someone who can understand me.”
Turning around, I gripped the middle layer and climbed. My muscles burned from the unexpected exertion as I forced them to pull me off the ground. Hissing in pain, I reached for the top, arms shaking. Digging one foot into the wall, I used the boost to push up and swing my leg over the top of the coil wall.
I sat on the crimson scales with one leg hanging on either side and scanned the room for a way out.
I cursed myself for mistaking this body for my nestmates. How could I be so foolish? The scales felt nothing like the ones I loved. Was I so delusional from the drugs they had injected me with to make such a grave mistake?
I wondered why he had placed me here. The room was too clean to be a prison and the lack of medical equipment meant this wasn’t an infirmary. The room was bare of any personal belongings other than the cushioned bed that the naga-like alien male was lying on.
This must be a guest bedroom of some sort.
Wherever I was, I didn’t want to remain trapped withhim.
Swinging my other leg over, I sucked in a deep breath as I summoned the courage to leap to the floor. On any other day, I wouldn’t have hesitated, but my body felt strained and I wouldn’t be able to do much more acrobats in my weakened state.
Sending a prayer to the Stars, I jumped, stumbling when I hit the floor hard. Hissing from the painful shock that rattled my bones, I pushed the soreness away and dashed toward the door.
I was better than this. When had I become so soft? Ignoring simple aches should be easy considering what both my Yaarkins masters and the Trr’kiki kidnappers had done to me.
“Ixxaka yuisst twtskk.”
Ignoring my captor’s shout, I reached for the door and slammed my hand on the scanner.
It blinked red.
Growling in frustration at my terrible luck, I smacked my hand onto the scanner again—and again.
“Why won’t you work?”
Suddenly, something snaked around my torso and yanked me backward, flipping me upside down. I screamed as I clawed at the naga-like tail, failing to break free.
The Kaede look-alike pulled me closer until I was hanging face to face with him. Pursing his lips, he shook his head as his fiery eyes dimmed with sadness.
“What do you want from me?” I hissed, struggling against my restraints. “Why can’t you just let me go?”
Something shiny glistened in my peripheral vision. Snapping my head toward the glint, I opened my mouth to protest too late. He pressed a medgun to my shoulder.
“Wait!” A sharp prick burned my skin. Growling, I glared at the male. “What was that for?”
A sad smile was his only reply. I could sense my body numbing. Theishing fraxhad injected me with mind-numbing drugs—once again.
Why did everyone want something from me?
I jerked toward him, trying to take a bite out of his neck, hoping for a chance to inject him with my venom. My sluggish movements were too predictable, allowing him to easily dodge my repeated attempts.
Slowly, my body stuttered to a halt as I lost the energy to move any longer. Closing my heavy eyelids, the last image I saw was the concerned male, who looked eerily like the security guard I wished he were, frowning back at me.
