Captured by the Alien Warrior, Hope Hart [read aloud books .txt] 📗

foot—or maybe it’s a hand—out to me, and my mouth waters as the scent of cooked meat hits me.

I can’t remember the last time I ate.

I reach out and take the meat. It’s cooked through and surprisingly tender as I take a bite. It tastes slightly gamey, almost like rabbit, but I take another piece and then another, eating until there’s no way my stomach could handle another bite.

Dragix stares at me as I refuse the next piece of meat.

“Thank you,” I tell him. “It was really good, but I’m full now. I can’t eat any more. You should eat the rest.”

He glances back at what’s left of the animal. Guilt strikes me at how little I’ve eaten, but then I’m shuddering as Dragix tears into it, polishing it off in two bites. He swallows the entire thing—bones and all—his teeth snapping shut when he’s done.

Jesus, he’s scary.

I have to get out of here because if he ever decides to turn those teeth on me…

My stomach roils as I stare at the spot where the animal was lying and then meet Dragix’s gaze.

“Thanks again,” I say, my voice shaking, and he turns, stalking away.

Chapter Three

Charlie

I tremble. Not because I’m cold but because I’m slowly attempting to gather what’s left of my courage.

It’s dark, and Dragix has obviously decided that it’s time to bed down for the night.

The day passed slowly. After we ate, Dragix pushed the boulder away from the huge entrance leading down into his mountain. I watched closely and could see the bob of the purple woman’s head as she climbed a set of stairs.

She introduced herself as Maez and brought a wooden jug of water with the cup. When I’d drank my fill, she refilled the jug and left it behind.

I spent the day brooding, sitting in the shade of the huge boulder. Dragix ignored me for most of the day, flying off occasionally. But he was never gone for longer than what I estimated was ten minutes or so.

I have three options. The first is to wait here until he lets me go. But who knows when—or if—that’ll happen. The next option is to learn to anticipate his schedule, picking the moment when he’s likely to spend the most time away from this mountain to escape. Or I can try to sneak away when he’s sleeping at night.

While he was gone, I examined my escape site, surveying the side of the mountain. I mentally climbed down a hundred times, picturing where I’d put my hands and feet as I scrambled down the rock.

It’s going to be even more dangerous at night, but I have to go when he’s sleeping. He’s not leaving me much time with his quick trips to wherever he goes when he flies off this mountain. And only an idiot would stay here with a giant dragon.

The way his teeth snapped on whatever that animal was… I shiver. When he returned from his last excursion, he’d carried another animal with him. This time, he cut off raw pieces of the beast, holding them in the air with one foot while he breathed a steady stream of fire onto them. He then handed them to me to eat, and when I was completely full, he ate what was left of the animal.

Lesson: Dragix likes his food raw.

I bring my attention back to the present. This time, I was smart enough to make sure my arms were above the heavy wing Dragix laid over me.

My plan is simple. Roll away from him and head to my escape route. And don’t make a fucking sound. Then run like hell. I go over the steps in my head until I’m trembling so hard that I’m worried my shaking will wake up Dragix.

I begin to inch out from under Dragix’s wing. I close my eyes so that if he wakes, it’ll hopefully look like I’m just turning in my sleep. But I’m suddenly so convinced that he’s awake and watching me that I open my eyes to slits so I can see his face.

Eyes still closed. Good.

I have no chance of lifting his heavy wing off me without waking him. So I cross my left leg over my right, using my right arm to push against the ground as I roll myself over.

I make it onto my side and freeze.

Quiet as a mouse. Still. Silent.

But I’m not a mouse. Not any longer.

Never again.

I listen to Dragix’s breathing for a few minutes and then roll again until I’m facedown. I repeat this twice more, cursing the sheer size of his wings. Finally, I’m lying beneath the very edge of his wing, and it’s only covering half of my body.

When Dragix doesn’t move, I make myself roll again. Otherwise, I’ll lose my nerve. Yesterday—God, was it only yesterday?—when he brought me here, I was determined to make him angry enough that he’d eat me quickly. Now I’m terrified that this escape attempt will actually make that happen.

I roll once more, gently easing out of the wing. I make myself stay lying on the ground, as if I’ve simply moved away in my sleep. Dragix doesn’t wake, and I try to keep my breath even—attempting to ease the tightness in my chest.

I crouch, and then I slowly get to my feet.

I’m careful not to step on any stones, dried leaves, or anything else that could give me away. I scan my surroundings, daring a glance back at Dragix. I study the large entryway where Maez disappears to, but I have no idea what’s waiting for me down there.

Better the devil I know.

I gauge the distance to the side of the mountain. If I thought Dragix wouldn’t be able to catch me, I’d run toward it. But I’ve seen how quickly he can move. My best chance is to creep quietly. Like a mouse.

Not a mouse. Not anymore.

Dragix lets out a snore, and I jump slightly. Then I slowly creep toward my path back to the other women and hopefully back