Hero: A Scifi Alien Romance (Galactic Gladiators Book 3)

by Anna Hackett

  The floor opened up beneath her.

  Oh, God.

  She fell straight downward and screamed.

  ***

  Kace heard Rory scream.

  He spun, and saw her slipping down a trapdoor.

  No! He didn’t hesitate. He ran the few steps to the hole, leaped into the air, and followed her into the darkness, feet-first.

  He hit slick metal and slid downward. He strained to hear Rory, but all he heard was the sound of his leathers on metal. He gathered speed, and braced himself for whatever was coming.

  A second later, he saw a flash of light at the bottom. The chute flattened out, and then he shot out the end of it.

  He landed in a crouch, and took a second to orient himself.

  He was in a small room. Through the doorway beyond, he heard the throb of loud music and the noisy cheer of a crowd.

  And straight ahead, Rory was struggling with a large Thraxian.

  Kace leaped forward. He swung his staff around and slammed it into the Thraxian’s lower back. It was a weak point on the aliens. The Thraxian roared, throwing his head back and releasing Rory.

  Spinning, Kace swung his weapon. He smacked it into the Thraxian’s side, abdomen, chest. The alien grunted with each blow. Another hit, and the Thraxian went down on one knee.

  He raised his head, the tusks beside his mouth stark white against his rough, dark skin. The veins under his skin glowed a virulent orange, and he made an enraged hissing sound.

  Kace brought his staff down on the creature’s shoulders, then in a sharp side move, hit the back of the alien’s head.

  His body went lax instantly. Without a sound, he fell to the floor.

  Kace grabbed Rory. She had one arm wrapped around her body and was looking around the room, studying the contained pond of black sludge in the corner.

  “It’s some kind of drainage room,” she murmured.

  He didn’t give a drak what it was. “We need to get out of here.”

  Rory nodded, casting the unconscious Thraxian one last look. “I want to kick him, but that wouldn’t be honorable.”

  “I won’t tell anyone.” He wanted to do far worse to the drakking alien. To all of them.

  With a small smile, she pressed her hands to Kace’s chest. “Thanks for coming after me.”

  “Always.”

  “My hero.”

  He grabbed her hand. “Come on. We need to find a way out.” He pulled her to the doorway.

  They slipped out of the room, and both of them paused. On this side of the door lay a huge, cavernous space, with roughly-hewn stone walls. It was crowded with aliens of all shapes and sizes. Mostly humanoid, but a large number of others as well. Bodies pressed close, packed in together, as lights strobed across the room. The noise in the room echoed in the huge space.

  No one was paying Kace and Rory any attention, and the music was deafeningly loud.

  Kace tucked his staff beside him, and gestured for Rory to do the same. He guessed they should stay as inconspicuous as possible. As he scanned the crowd, he noted that most of them were armed in some way.

  They moved through the press of people, Kace careful to keep Rory close. They passed a couple pressed against a pole. The man’s hands were clamped on the woman’s ass as they devoured each other. Right next to them, he saw a reptilian alien swapping coins and tokens with people—clearly gamblers placing their bets. Nearby, a small group of aliens were puffing on long pipes, a cloud of purplish, sweet-smelling smoke hovering over them. Kace wrinkled his nose. He hated the cloying scent of taint—a highly addictive drug.

  It was then he spotted something over the heads of the wall of people in front of them.

  Cages.

  They’d found the underground fight rings.

  Alongside the cages, people were bouncing up and down, screaming and cheering, egging on the combatants inside.

  “Kill him!”

  “Break his neck!”

  “Blood! Let’s see the blood.”

  Kace leaned his head closer to Rory, pressing his lips to her ears. “Stay close. We’ll take a look around, and then search for a way out.” He knew Galen, Raiden, and the others would be searching for them.

  Rory nodded. “So this is it? The underground fight rings.” She looked up at him. “We need to find Madeline. I’m not leaving until we do.”

  Drak. He’d been afraid she was going to say that. “We’ll look.”

  What he didn’t tell her was that he’d carry her out of here over his shoulder, if he had to. He’d do whatever he had to do to keep her safe.

  They passed close to what had to be the main entrance into the underground fight ring. Large Srinar guards flanked the entrance and anyone entering was flashing coins to gain admittance.

  The guards were armed. Kace’s jaw tightened. They wouldn’t be heading out that way.

  Pulling Rory under his arm, he scanned ahead, alert for anything. Strobe lights crossed the crowd.

  Then he saw a disturbance. A group of Thraxians searching the crowd, coming from the direction of the drainage room where they’d entered from.

  Drak. Quickly, he yanked Rory to him. She let out a small oof.

  “Thraxians,” he whispered. He dropped onto the edge of a couch, ignoring the blissed-out taint smokers. He yanked her into his lap, curled his hands into her buttocks, and pressed his mouth to hers.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Rory moaned against Kace’s lips, moving her hips against him.

  She knew this was just for show, but damn, the man tasted so good. She kept kissing him, sinking her hands into his hair.

  When his lips traveled down her neck, she arched her head back. “Are they almost gone?”

  He nipped her skin. “They passed by a few minutes ago.”

  With a groan, she pulled back. “Then we should get moving.”

  He urged her hips against him again, and she felt the hard bulge of his erection.

  “I know.” He groaned. “But you tempt me beyond reason.” Finally, he set her on her feet. “We need to keep looking around.”

  As they moved deeper into the crowd, Rory decided she hated this place. There was an edge—a dark, nasty one. Here, you could feel the hungry desperation of the crowd. It wasn’t like the arena spectators above, out to watch something primal, something that connected them to their emotions.

  Here, it was about drowning yourself in the dark, in the vice of your choice, in the misery of others.

  Moving closer to one of the cages, Rory heard the brutal blows of flesh striking against flesh.

  Steeling herself, she looked at the metal-mesh structure rising above the crowd, lit by blinding spotlights. Scores of spectators stood pressed against the metal, fingers curled into mesh, shouting encouragement or derision at the fighters.

  A body slammed into the side, vibrating the metal, and she fought to control her flinch. The giant, red-skinned alien was big and brutal, and covered head to toe in black tattoos.

  Across from him, bouncing on his toes, was his opponent. He was a tall humanoid, with pale skin that glowed like moonlight. Blood and sweat streaked his chest. This one was smaller and thinner, but appeared much faster than the tattooed alien.

  The men charged at each other again, each raining blows on the other.

  This place was horrible. Rory had been to lots of MMA fights. She’d always enjoyed watching the fights, the test of skills.

  This was nothing like those fights. This was just brutal.

  As she got closer to the cage, she felt the primal excitement pumping off the crowd around them. She was grateful for Kace’s steady presence at her back. People were screaming, and everywhere she looked, she saw money exchanging hands.

  “The fighters are extra motivated tonight,” someone shouted from Rory’s left.

  “Drak, yeah,” another man answered. “Don’t blame them. The prize is so small, and little, and delicious. I’d give anything for a female like that.”

  As the fighters slam
med into the cage wall again, the cheering rose to deafening levels.

  Rory pressed into Kace, going up on her toes. He leaned down, his warm breath brushing her cheek. “I heard them say a small woman is the prize,” she yelled.

  Kace’s face hardened. “Scum.”

  Inside the cage, the slim man slammed into the mesh nearby. Rory looked up. His face was right near her. Agony filled his face, terror in his eyes. Their eyes met for a second.

  Then his opponent grabbed him, pulled him around, and tossed him to the other side of the cage. The slim man went down on one knee.

  The red, tattooed alien raised his arms above his head in a gesture of victory. “I’m going to win! I am Randor!”

  Rory sidled closer to one of the spectators beside her. “What’s this prize everyone’s talking about?” She kept her voice friendly, and a little breathless.

  The alien’s skin was a deep shade of green, and he towered over her. He didn’t take his gaze off the fight, just nodded his head toward the other cages. “She’s a pretty thing. Tiny with dark hair.” Finally, the green alien looked down at her, his gaze warming. “Almost as pretty as you, sweetheart.”

  Rory bared her teeth. “I’m not sweet. I bite.” She jerked a thumb behind her. “Just ask him.”

  The alien chortled, glanced at Kace, and choked on his laugh. Kace slid an arm around her, pulling her back toward him.

  Holding onto Kace’s arm, Rory led them in the direction the alien had nodded. “The woman sounds like Madeline, Kace. They’re offering her as a goddammed prize.”

  There were four more cages, each containing another deadly fight. Unlike the crowds that sat in the arena above, this crowd was much rougher, more bloodthirsty. Alcohol and drugs flowed freely, and people were having sex around the perimeter. Unknown fluids of every description stained the sticky concrete floor. Rory’s nostrils were clogged with the scent of blood, urine, and sweat.

  They pushed through the crowd, and she stayed close to Kace, as people parted for his big body. Ahead, another crowd bunched around one of the large support columns that speared upward, to the roof of the cavern.

  As they pushed their way through the throng, Rory spotted a small figure chained to the column.

  She choked back a cry. Madeline Cochran was chained to the support, her head dangling forward. She was wearing a tiny scrap of a dress the same shade as her dark hair.

  Just beyond her was a sunken pit. It was larger than the cages, and circled by some tiered seating. Almost a mini-arena. The seats were crowded, the spectators cheering on the fighters below.

  “Let’s try and get closer to her,” Rory suggested.

  Kace scowled. “We should wait for Raiden and the others—”

  “We might not have that time. What if someone wins her?”

  Kace nodded, and they circled the large, sunken pit. The crowd booed, and from below, the sounds of flesh striking flesh and animalistic grunts reached their ears.

  Then the crowd roared its pleasure.

  As they made their way slowly around the pit, they passed a railing, and Rory glanced down at the combatants.

  Everything inside her froze. No. It can’t be.

  “Rory?” Kace’s voice at her ear.

  She shoved an alien out of her way, and pressed against the railing. She felt Kace right behind her, staying close and shoving another onlooker away.

  Rory stared down into the fighting pit at a darker-skinned, sweat-soaked fighter. A human fighter. His skin gleamed under the lights, and his dark hair was plastered against his head. He was staring at the hard-packed ground, his chest heaving, as his dead opponent was dragged off.

  Lieutenant Blaine Strong, space marine, from Fortuna Space Station.

  “Rory? What’s going on?” Kace demanded.

  “The fighter. He’s from Earth, from my space station.”

  Kace cursed.

  A new fighter stepped into the ring. Blaine didn’t move, with the exception of his hands curling into fists.

  Blaine’s opponent was over seven feet tall, with scaly, blue skin.

  “We can’t help him right now,” Kace said quietly. “There are guards all around the ring. They won’t let a fighter just walk out of there.”

  Rory’s gut rolled. Madeline urgently needed her, but walking away from Blaine, leaving him stuck here alone, cut her to shreds. She didn’t know him well, but she knew Harper did. What she did know, was that he was a good man and an excellent marine.

  He shouldn’t be fighting for his life in this dirty fight ring.

  “I’m not going to leave you here, Blaine,” she murmured the words as a promise to him and to herself, too soft for anyone else to hear.

  Kace gripped her hand. “We’ll come back for him.”

  Damn straight. It was a promise.

  At that moment, Blaine looked up. His dark gaze hit Rory’s and widened in shock.

  She raised a hand and mouthed the words. “I’m coming back for you.”

  Blaine stared at her, something flaring in his dark eyes. The big scaled fighter let out a roar, and started across the pit toward Blaine.

  Blaine didn’t move, just kept his gaze on Rory. Then he moved his head, the tiniest inclination that no one else would pick up but her.

  Then he turned to face the fighter.

  As Blaine ducked a swing and landed a hard blow to the alien’s midsection, Rory forced herself to turn away. She wanted to rage and hit someone. She wanted to see blood spill on the sand.

  She was so tired of not being able to save everybody.

  Determination tensed her muscles. But right now, right at this moment, she was sure as hell going to get Madeline out of here.

  They moved the last few meters through the crowd toward the pole. The crowd shifted, and Rory jerked upright. “Oh, God. Madeline’s gone.”

  The column was empty.

  Kace turned his head, scanning the room. “They’ve moved her.”

  Rory’s gaze flew over the crowd, her heart thumping, until she spotted a small, dark-haired form. “Over there.” She pointed. Through a part in the masses, she saw Madeline being yanked through a doorway by two Srinar aliens.

  “It’s the winner’s room,” Kace said. “Once a winner is declared, they’ll bring them in there to claim their prize.”

  Rory’s mouth firmed. “Not if we can get her out of there first.”

  Kace grabbed her shoulder. “We must use caution. We can’t go charging in there. It could be full of Srinar and Thraxians.”

  She gave him a frustrated nod. They neared the door. “No guards.”

  “It seems they doubt anyone would be crazy enough to steal the prize and try to escape.”

  At the door, Kace pushed her up against the wall, making it look like they were busy mauling each other. Rory slid her leg up, hooking it over his hip.

  They both peeked through the doorway.

  “Only the two Srinar,” Kace said.

  Adrenaline flashed through Rory’s veins. She looked up at her handsome hero, the man who’d captured her heart.

  He pulled his staff around. “Let’s get your friend.”

  “Thank you, Kace.”

  He touched her cheek. “Thanks are not necessary. Besides, we are not safe yet.”

  Rory stealthily pulled her own staff around. They looked at each other, then they rushed into the room together.

  Kace slammed his weapon into the closest Srinar. Rory rushed past him and swung her staff at the second Srinar’s knees. He fell with a loud cry. She hit him again, swinging upward and catching his chin.

  He flew backward and slumped to the ground. Nearby, Kace’s Srinar was curled in a ball, out cold.

  Rory hurried over to Madeline. She was slumped on the couch, and hadn’t moved. “Madeline.” Rory touched her pale cheek. The woman’s skin was chilled, her eyes glazed. “She’s been drugged.”

  Then the sound of an opening door, and Kace’s curse, made Rory spin.

  There was a door on the
side wall that they hadn’t noticed when they’d entered. It had just opened. Ice slid into Rory’s veins.

  A large group of Srinar and Thraxians stepped into the room, gazes trained on them.

  ***

  Kace changed his grip on his staff, assessing his options.

  There weren’t any good ones. They were heavily outnumbered. He stepped in front of the women and lifted his staff.

  The crowd parted, the Srinar scuttling backward. A Thraxian with an orange sash across his chest stepped forward. Kace’s jaw tightened. The Imperator of the House of Thrax.

  “Antarian.” The imperator tilted his head. “In service to the arena for training. You are only on Carthago temporarily, surely you have no personal concerns here. You may leave.”

  Kace didn’t move. “Leave?”

  “Yes. Leave the women behind, and you can go.”

  Beside him, he sensed Rory stiffen.

  “Just like that?” Kace said. “I can go.”

  “I have no quarrel with you. I know you Antarians only care for your duty in fighting the Hemm’Darr.” The imperator lifted one broad shoulder. “Surely two small, odd women from a nowhere world hardly matter to you.”

  Kace felt a lick of hot anger threatening his control. Rory was everything—feisty, courageous, spirited. And she was his. He would give his life to protect her.

  The Imperator of the House of Thrax had no idea what he was talking about. Rory had forced Kace to awaken from a deep, frozen sleep. Being with her had made him realize what really mattered.

  He looked over at her. She was watching him steadily, with her green-gold eyes.

  He arched a brow at her. “What do you think, small, odd woman from Earth?” He saw a shudder run through her. Had she really believed that he’d leave her?

  The corner of her mouth tipped up, and she gently patted Madeline’s arm. She straightened and shot the imperator a nasty look. “I suggest we kick some Thraxian-Srinar ass.”

  Kace exploded forward, and Rory moved in the same instant.

  As his staff crashed against the sword of a Thraxian, he saw Rory sweep a Srinar off his feet with a swipe of her leg. She followed him down, slamming his head into the floor.