Free Beast Planet 2: Captive Salvation by Angela Castle Page A

has been difficult without you.”
    I ran towards the path leading down to the lagoon, wildly shoving plants out of my way.
    I jolted to a stop as I spotted him standing by the water’s edge, his head hanging down, staring into the water. His usually tame hair was a wild mess where it hung over his slumped shoulders.
    “Morrdrook?” My voice barely a whisper as emotions swamped me. How lost he looked. His head whipped around at the sound of my voice. Lines weighed heavily around his eyes and I swore he’d lost weight.
    “Aunna?” His voice but a whisper, disbelief in his blue eyes as his gaze swept over me from head to toe.
    “Morrdrook, I found a way back. I…” tears stung the back of my eyes. I blinked rapidly trying to hold them back. “I…found the Zakiu city. I found a way to free us…”
    I couldn’t stand it any longer. I ran at him, throwing myself into his arms. Warm strength enfolded me as he held me tightly, his face in my hair. I heard him draw in deep breaths.
    “Oh by the moons! It is you, my Aunna, my beautiful Aunna.” He grabbed my shoulders, pushing me back as his intense gaze sweeping down my body. His hands followed, touching every part of me. He traced his mark on my throat with the tip of his finger. When he reached my curve of my stomach, he caressed the swell tenderly.
    “You have lost weight, but our bud still grows strong.” His voice was deep with emotion.
    “Yes, it was hard, but thinking of you kept me strong. I’ve missed you so much. I don’t ever want to be apart again!”
    He hugged me close again, his hands stroking my back as he kissed my hair.
    “No, never again,” he choked out.
    Tilting my head back, he lowered his lips to mine, kissing me again. I clung desperately to his shoulders giving him everything I had and more.
    The loud zing sound of weapons fire had us breaking apart. I pulled back from his arms and shoved my Put disrupter into his hands. He looked over the weapon and smile spread across his face.
    “Killiu said you know how to use these?”
    “Druel have similar disruptors, takes little skill to use.”
    I snorted, knowing how long it took me to learn to use it.
    “We’ve still got to destroy the Druel drones. I’ll explain everything else after.”
    With a nod and his left hand wrapped tightly around my right, we hurried back to the village. Already the Zakiu fighters were engaging the Druel guard drones, and they were dropping like flies.
    “Stay!” Morrdrook barked, with a pointed glare he pushed me behind the first hut on the row. I couldn’t help but grin as satisfaction swarmed through me. I nodded obediently. God, I loved having my big alien protector back, bossing me around. Watching as he charged into the fray, taking out two machines as he ran.
    “Anna!” The squeal of Abby’s voice, I saw her running the perimeter of the village, steering clear of the fighting. Close at her heels was Joan. Both women dived behind the building and caught me between them, squashing me into a tight embrace. I squeaked struggling to breathe, until they let me go. I couldn’t help notice how swollen their stomachs were.
    “Jaysus woman, you’re back! How? You look like some bad ass biker chick!”
    “No more like Sigourney Weaver from the Alien movie.” Joan put in with a grin. “She brought big bad guns.”
    “What happened to ya?”
    I laughed at their mixed expression of delight and confusion.
    “I found the lost Zakiu city. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when we get the hell out of here.”
    We waited out the firefight for a good ten minutes before there were no more Druel defense machines left. They lay smoking and sparking on the ground. A cheer rose up from the men.
    Morrdrook’s grin was as wide as mine as we emerged from our hiding spot. He strode towards me, caught me up in his arms and swung me around.
    “My Aunna, the savior of our people!” Everyone surrounded me, shouting and cheering.
    “What is the city like? Is there