Redeeming The Alien Werewolf

12.

Vanessa

My heart pounded in my chest as the insectman brandished his cattle prod thing. I swung my metal shard and it sliced through the creature's exoskeleton, releasing a gush of viscous black blood that splattered across my face. Ew.

The insectman crumpled to the ground, twitching in its death throes. Don't hurl, Vanessa.

"Nice work," Draug grunted, dispatching another insectman with a brutal kick. "We need to get out of here."

"Agreed," I panted, wiping the ichor from my face with the back of my hand. As we edged our way towards the end of the corridor, fighting off insectmen left and right, I couldn't help but think about the Intergalactic Alliance and how these insectmen were merely pawns in their twisted game.

We fought through the last of the insectmen and made it to a ship.

Draug knelt at the side of a ship, trying to hotwire it, I guess.

The sleek silver hull gleamed under the artificial lights of the hangar bay. The tentative taste of victory mingled with the bitter tang of blood in my mouth.

Finally we broke into the ship and the door slid open with a hiss, revealing the dimly lit interior.

"Quick, inside!" Draug urged, practically shoving me into the ship. He slammed the door behind us, and we collapsed onto the floor, our chests heaving as we tried to catch our breath.

"Are we safe?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"For now," Draug replied, scanning the control panel with furrowed brows. "But we need to get moving before they find us."

The engines hummed beneath me, a comforting vibration that seemed to promise safety.

We got up, Draug leading us to the cockpit.

Draug strapped me in, then himself.

"Where will we go?" My thoughts raced, trying to make sense of our situation. How had I gone from a simple nurse on Earth to fighting for my life in an alien world?

"Anywhere but here," Draug said grimly, punching in coordinates. "We'll figure it out once we're away from this hellhole."

He took over the controls, piloting the ship out of the hangar.

As the ship lurched into motion, I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of relief and dread. We had escaped the immediate danger, but what lay ahead was unknown. Would we ever truly be free from Dookur and Anwir?

"Are they going to catch up to us?" I asked.

"No, not when I do this." Draug pulled some lever that sent me flat back against my seat as we rushed forward. Whoa.

We returned to a normal speed and Draug unbuckled from his seat.

"Vanessa," Draug said softly, turning to face me. "We'll face whatever comes together. I promise you that."

I looked into his eyes, fierce and resolute, and knew that he meant every word. And somehow, despite the darkness that loomed over us, I found solace in that promise.

His concerned gaze went to my right shoulder. "You're bleeding– we need to patch you up."

I glanced down. Huh. I was bleeding. But strangely, my left shoulder ached worse than my right. Weird.

Body aching, I followed Draug. But I couldn't reach with my wounds to unbuckle the armour.

"Could– could you help me?" I asked.

"Of course," he murmured, his voice low and strained as he carefully removed my makeshift armour.

His touch was surprisingly gentle, a tender contrast to the fierce warrior I'd seen in the arena. As the last piece clattered to the floor, I winced at the sight of my bruised and battered body.