“C’mon. I need you to open those big, beautiful eyes for me. We don’t have a lot of time. They could be back at any moment.”
At his words, the memory of the two human men bursts into the forefront of my consciousness. I bolt upright, nearly knocking heads with Galen, who I find has been cradling me in his lap.
My head swivels until I lay eyes on Henry, who is still fast asleep on the only cot in the cramped, dimly lit room. “Henry?” I ask.
Without clarification from me, Galen says, “He’s fine. The medication will wear off soon, though. Listen to me, I have a plan.”
Shaking the dregs of the nightmarish memory out of my head, I focus my attention on Galen. A dreadful sensation grips my insides, making me think I might be sick all over the floor. “What?” For a moment, I’m caught between the past and the present. Certain the past is about to repeat itself. Galen is going to leave me and Henry. He’s going to sacrifice me to the soldiers. Just like my parents. Just like Evan.
Galen cups my face in his big hands and I tremble. I’ve been starting to trust him, to believe maybe he’s the hero I’ve been looking for all along. I’m not sure I can take it if he’s not.
Then he speaks, “When the two of them come back to get us, I want you to take Henry and make a run for it.”
I dislodge my parched tongue from the roof of my mouth. The relief I feel once his words sink in leaves me staggered. Awestruck. Then I fully comprehend his words. I gasp and cling to him. “What? No. I can’t do that. I won’t.”
The weight of my head lists to the side and he cradles it in his hand. His touch…There is no lie in his touch. It tells me, You are safe. I will protect you. Always. I don’t know how I’m certain of that, but I am. He could have run, could have ripped his way through these soldiers in an instant. I know he could have. But he’s staying. He’s fighting.
For us.
He kisses me gently, sweetly. I surprise us both when I kiss him back. It’s brief, so fucking brief. I want to sink into him and his protective arms, but he pulls away too soon. I am bereft.
“You have to. For your mortling, you have to.” He’s so close, his breath fans over my lips. I’m this close to begging him to think of another plan, to run away with us, when Henry stirs and my attention goes to him. I can’t leave Henry. I can’t risk Henry. “There is no other choice. If he dies, I die. I won’t let anything happen to him. You must do this for me. Please.”
This alien. This monster. He cares more for my son than his own father did. That alone could make all the careful walls I’d built around my heart crumble into dust.
I brush the tears from my face—I hadn’t even realized I was crying. I have to be strong. For both of them. For all of us. We have to make it through this to whatever forever is on the other side. “I don’t know how to get out of here. I don’t remember the way. Even if I managed to find my way out, I wouldn’t know where to go.”
“You will find your way. You’re smarter than you think. You made it all the way from the prison nearly to the Facility. You’re the bravest alien I know, zelfyre. You can do this.”
My heart lurches in my chest at hearing his endearment and how confident he is in my abilities to protect Henry. His faith in me emboldens me. He makes it seem like everything I do is through some valiant act of bravery and not out of necessity. So many of my decisions recently have been, because to choose another option would mean my death…or Henry’s. Not much of a choice and certainly no bravery involved. In fact, fear has been the driving motivator for as long as I can remember. “What are you going to do?”
For once, I’m not thinking of just me and Henry. There’s something about Galen I can’t ignore. Something deep inside him that calls to me. His eyes aren’t deceptive like Evan’s, who used me and then threw me away when he was finished.
Galen actually cares about our well-being.
Hell, he ran—literally ran—his ass across a battlefield to come rescue us. No one, and I mean no one, has ever done anything so selfless for us before. It’s always been me protecting Henry. To think I found someone who wants to keep him safe just as much as I do almost feels too good to be true.