Chapter 11

Betrayal

Royce's POV

She was going to sacrifice herself. For me?!

"Jasmina no!"

She didn't look at me. Then the convict jumped the creature.

"Motherfucker!"

He started stabbing it and then he looked at us.

"Run! Go!"

I grabbed Jasmina and we ran. When he didn't follow I knew he was dead. We ran into an open field of waist high grass. Yakuza stopped and I looked at him. He nodded and I nodded back. He turned his eyes to Jasmina.

"Go."

She nodded and he turned back. She ran before I even did. She'd been close to Yakuza. They had a sort of silent understanding. First the Mexican and now him. She'd thrown herself in front of me to save me. I hadn't even told her my goddamn name. I heard something click and the Doc screamed. I turned and found him caught in a bear trap.

"Fuck!"

Jasmina knelt down and pried it open, making him scream again.

"One more inch and it would've hit my tibial artery. Must be my lucky day."

"No…"

Jasmina slowly looked at me.

"That trap is meant to maim not kill." I looked into her eyes. "He's dead weight now."

She stood up and gave me a disbelieving look.

"No wait a minute, I can still walk."

He tried to get up and I heard a crack. He fell back down.

"Fuck!"

"There's no thing we can do for him. You'll be asking us to slow down, to carry you."

"No…no…you can't leave me here. I have a family! I've got two little kids!"

He pulled a picture from his pocket. This bastard was so desperate he was trying to convince me Nikolai's kids were his.

"I'm sorry." I said.

Tears fell down his face and I looked at Jasmina.

"You and I can still make it. Come on."

She looked at me with disgust.

"We can't leave him! He's one of us!"

"And that's what they'll be counting on. They want you to feel something for this man. To be human."

I immediately regretted those last words. She walked up to me and slapped me.

"Okay, I might've deserved that." I said quietly.

"You bastardo! I feel things all of the time! I think you know that better than everyone else. I guess you lied to me back at Noland's little hideout. When you told me I gave you something to live for. None of your words or actions meant anything. So what are you if not human?"

Her words tore my heart apart.

"I'm alive."

She slowly nodded.

"Then go. There's nothing for you here. Not anymore."

"You've said that before and didn't mean it."

"I don't mean it now either, at least not for my part."

I leaned closer.

"Don't do this Jasmina."

"This is my choice. And I choose to have a heart. And even now I have to believe…that you were and or are a good man."

I sucked in a breath and reached for her, but she backed away.

"Go, you don't want to miss your flight."

Pain and anger took hold of me so I ran off.

Jasmina's POV

I wouldn't let myself cry. I helped the doctor up and put his arm around my shoulders.

"You should've gone with him." he said.

"Yes I should have, but I didn't."

We started moving forward.

"You're in love with him."

He was right, I was.

"Yes. And I don't know why."

"You can understand him in a way no one else can. He doesn't scare you."

And again he was right.

"And I'll you this, he's in love with you too."

"Now that I find hard to believe."

"You're always looking into his eyes. I'm surprised you don't know by now."

I thought back to Noland's hideout. The way he'd looked at me, the way he'd touched me and kissed me. Yet again he was right.

"It doesn't matter now. He made his choice."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We're not dead yet."

No sooner had the words left my mouth, we stepped into a trap. We were caught in a net. I saw the last creature walking forward. I couldn't help it…I screamed louder than I ever had.

Royce's POV

I swore I heard her scream. The beast started playing with something on his wrist. I saw my planet show up. A blue hologram. I heard the ship start in the distance but then I heard growling. I turned around and the lead beast was there. The beast moved in front of me and then attacked. I ran for the ship like I said I would. I decided to reload and I reached into my pocket. Something cold brushed against my finger tips. I frowned and pulled it out. My eyes widened when I saw it.

"Jasmina."

She must've slipped it into my pocket. I looked back towards the camp and then towards the ship. I ran to the ship.

Jasmina's POV

The creature dropped us into a hole and we managed to untangle ourselves. I stood up and looked around. I could hear a battle going on up there. Green Eyes must have freed the creature on the totem. I tried to climb up but I slipped.

"There's no way out of here." I said.

"Fantastic."

I saw the ship go flying through the air and smirked.

"Tienes lo que querías. Todavía tengo esperanza para ti." (You got what you wanted. I still have hope for you."

I heard a loud roar and looked up.

"I'll do us both. I promise I'll be quick."

"No…you won't."

I felt a sharp pain across my collar bone. He'd cut me! I looked at him and he smiled.

"Oops."

I slowly fell to the ground. I couldn't move.

"That's right."

He started talking and I saw the ship explode. I let out my best attempt at a pained cry and he looked up.

"Oh well. Not like he wanted you anyway right?"

I was breathing fast and trying desperately to move.

"Now see why they chose me. I was right there in front of you guys the whole time. Back home, I'm a murderer. I'm a freak." he looked at me again. "But here among the monsters…I'm normal. I wanna stay. You know its too bad, I really did think the tough guy was in love with you. Turns out, you were just another piece of ass to him. Don't worry, I'll put you out of your misery."

The anger of his betrayal and the unspeakable pain of losing Green Eyes caused tears to roll down my cheeks. The doctor was smiling and then I saw something over his shoulder. My eyes went wide when I saw him. He was alive! The doctor slowly turned around, putting his scalpel away as he did.

"You came back! Thank god!"

"I missed my ride." he said.

If I could smirk I would've done so.

Royce's POV

"Turns out, you were just another piece of ass to him. Don't worry, I'll put you out of your misery."

My blood boiled and managed to make myself seem calm. She looked at me with those cerulean eyes and the Doc turned.

"You came back! Thank god!"

"I missed my ride."

"Help us get out of here."

"Put her in the net. She comes up first."

"Of course."

I got them both up and then knelt down beside Jasmina.

"She's paralyzed. I don't know what that thing did." Doc told me.

Her eyes were smiling at me. I stroked the side of her head and leaned closer.

"You're always so busy taking care of other, you forget to take care of yourself…my Siren."

Her eyes moved over my shoulder and I could see the panic.

"I didn't think you'd come back. I thought you were dead. But Jasmina…she never gave up hope. She's really in love with you."

She looked into my eyes again. He was telling the truth. She was in love with me. Of all people, she was in love with me.

"I guess I owe you an apology. You are a good man after all."

The panic returned to her eyes.

"No."

I had to be fast. I turned, grabbed his wrist and shoved the scalpel under his chin.

"But I'm fast. And you were wrong about the way I saw her."

I pulled the scalpel out and then dragged him away.

"Please don't kill me!"

"Oh I won't." I growled.

I rigged him with grenades and then laid him face down on the ground.

"I'll let those beasts take care of you."

I left him and went back to Jasmina.

"I'm gonna kill that fucking thing. I'm gonna kill it and we're gonna find a way off this damn planet. We're gonna go home."

I knew she was trying to form words.

"Shhh. Don't try to talk, it'll be a while before you can."

I kissed her. There was a chance I'd never kiss her again. I wanted her to know how I really felt. I pulled away stroked her cheek before getting to work.