The Alliance Boxset Books 1-6

Chapter 5-3

Jesse stared at the alien blocking her way to freedom. She fought to keep her eyes from moving to the door. She didn’t want him to know that she was thinking of the different methods of escape that she was planning. Granted, she was weak, but she could already feel her strength and determination returning. She had to find her sisters. He said they were next door.

She lowered her head and raised a shaking hand to push her hair back while she looked at the table near the bed. There was a large metal pitcher on it. If she could grab it and hit him hard enough, she could knock him out. There was also a metal lamp. She just needed to distract him long enough to grab one or the other.

She raised her head and looked out the window. It was dark outside. That would work in their favor as well. They would just need to find a way off the compound. She had seen a few of the ‘camps’ the aliens set up. Each had some type of force field around them. Every ten feet there was a device they stuck in the ground. It had the same effect as an electrified barb wire fence. If she could destroy one of the devices, it would take out one section of the barrier.

She looked back at the alien who she had helped. Shrugging her shoulders, she forced herself to relax back against the wall. She needed time to gather her courage.

“I heard a truck coming down the road,” she replied, looking into his eyes. “It isn’t safe to be found. I knew I had to find a place to hide. It just happened to be in the same place they were going. I planned on just waiting until they either left again or it was safe enough to escape back out into the streets, but then I heard what they planned to do to you,” she paused and glanced at the water.

Hunter reached over, picked up the glass and handed it to her. She gave a faint smile of thanks and sipped the refreshing liquid. She frowned down into the clear water. It tasted like water, but she felt – stronger after drinking a little.

“There are nutrients added to help you heal,” he said, seeing the frown of confusion on her face. “It gives you vitamins and minerals that will help your body heal faster and give you strength.”

“Like a vitamin drink on steroids,” she murmured before drinking a little more.

“You were telling me why you would risk your life for mine,” he encouraged, sitting back again.

Jesse nodded and wrapped both hands around the glass. “I couldn’t leave. I wanted to,” she admitted with a heavy sigh. “But I couldn’t. No one deserves to die, much less the way they were planning on killing you. I planned to just release you enough that you could finish the task while I escaped, but when I heard them coming back to the van… I couldn’t leave you trapped,” she finished awkwardly. “What did… what did you do to the people who, you know, what happened to them?”

Hunter shrugged his broad shoulders. “I killed them,” he said calmly. “Except for the woman. She killed herself before we could.”

Jesse paled and she clenched the glass tightly between her palms. “How did you find me?” she forced herself to ask.

She needed to know how he found her so she could make sure it didn’t happen again. The more information she had, the better prepared she would be when she and her sisters escaped.

“It was not as easy as I expected,” he admitted with a grin. “You were very careful, even though you were sick and wounded. If it had not been for the blood you left behind as you moved, it would have taken much longer.”

She glanced down at the glass again in satisfaction. If she and her sisters could get far enough away, they could avoid being caught again since she would not be leaving any blood behind this time. She was about to ask a few more questions when her breath caught in her throat. She froze as she noticed her wrists for the first time. She lifted her left wrist and frowned as she saw the marks circling it.

“What is this?” she asked, holding her wrist up.

“It is my mark,” he said uneasily. “It shows you are mine.”

Jesse’s eyes flew to his. “What do you mean by ‘you are mine’?

Hunter shifted in the chair before he rose and walked over to the window. They were on the ground floor. He stared out at the back of the compound that butted up against a line of warehouses and supply storage areas. He turned to look at where Jesse sat forward on the bed. Her face was turned upward as she looked at him with a combination of horror and distrust.

“I owed you a life debt. I also promised to protect you and your sisters with my life,” he said heavily. “The only way I could do that was to claim you as my Amate.”

“What… what does an Amate mean?” Jesse asked with a sinking feeling in her stomach that had nothing to do with being ill.

Hunter straightened up to his full height and looked down at Jesse with a fierce, possessive look. He could sense her unease and growing fear. There was nothing he could do about it. He would not lie to her. The sooner she accepted that she belonged to him, the better for them all. He would be leaving in less than two weeks to return to his world as his tour of duty on Earth was up, and Jesse and her sisters would be returning with him.

“You are my mate now,” he stated, holding up his wrists that had matching tattoos on them. “You belong to me, and I will protect your sisters until they are given to another warrior.”

Shock held Jesse frozen. Her mind rebelled against what he was telling her. Her eyes swept over the huge alien standing over her. She had never felt so small or defenseless in her life. There was only one thing that she could think of as his words sank in. She had to accomplish one thing as soon as was humanly possible.

We have to escape, she thought as horror seized her in its ugly grip. Now!