I move to the second, but that door is also locked.
The hoard breaks open the entrance, overpowering Akron. He fires, but the bullets hit the ceiling.
They grab his ankles. Screaming, he reaches for the railing against the wall. “Emma! Hide!”
Slowly, I back up, watching as they break his arm and start to tie him up.
Run.
There’s no time to waste. I try the third door, and it opens to another hallway full of doors.
“No, no, no,” I groan. “How is this possible?”
Akron’s screams echo throughout the entire facility.
I’m going to die here. This is it.
But then I remember what I have to care for, my baby. Soon, I will be a momma.
Instinct kicks in. I can’t let anything get in the way of my family.
I stop running.
The slaves force the door open, reaching for me.
My eyes widen as they grab my ankles, forcing me onto the floor. One slave raises a hammer over my head. His eyes tell me he’s about to swing.
I have one-second to get it all out.
“I’m pregnant,” I say.
The man holds his position. The rest of the crowd freezes.
“I’m pregnant,” I say again.
Rekker, Lök, Vraik. All of the memories come back to me. A deep, swelling emotion rocks me, but I can’t let it end me. I will get my alphas back. And when I do, we will finally be able to relish in the love we share.
We will raise our child.
The alien with the hammer lowers over me. “Empire filth. You are our prize,” he says.
“I have been claimed. I participated in the fertility rite of your people,” I say, voice hurried.
One of the aliens commands the others. “Take her.”
They carry me and Akron into another room. His arm is broken, and he looks completely sedated.
“Wait,” I say. “I am not from the Empire. I came to help.”
“Lies,” the alien growls. “All we hear are filthy lies.”
“It’s the truth. Keep the Resnyx. It’s not ours to have,” I say.
Growls fill the room as they turn to argue their best move forward. I inch back, thinking about my alphas.
“No one in their right minds would come to give us the Resnyx. So why are you really here?” he asks.
“Because I think we can help each other,” I say.