As they reach the perimeter, the alarm blares. Luka’s instincts scream at him to shield Maya, but his body fails him. In a moment of desperation, Maya uses a Clecanian flash-grenade and drags him into the dense, purple-leafed jungle surrounding the compound.
The rescue is a frantic blur of adrenaline. Maya uses a repurposed sonic cutter to break his shackles, but the suppressants in Luka’s system make his legs heavy. He has to trust this tiny, fierce female to guide him through the labyrinth. For the first time in his life, the protector must be the protected. The Conflict Freeing Luka by Victoria Aveline
This story is set in Victoria Aveline’s universe. It follows the established lore where human women are rescued/abducted from Earth and find themselves on a planet where they are highly valued, protected, and often pursued by massive, honorable alien warriors. As they reach the perimeter, the alarm blares
Luka realizes that while Maya "freed" him from the cage, he is now utterly captured by her. He struggles with the guilt of his weakness during the escape, but Maya shuts him down. "You didn't need to be a hero today, Luka. You just needed to survive." The rescue is a frantic blur of adrenaline
Maya finds Luka’s cell at sub-level four. When she drops from the ceiling, Luka doesn't see a savior; he sees a hallucination. He is a mountain of muscle gone lean from neglect, his golden skin scarred and his violet eyes clouded.
"I’m not a ghost, Luka," Maya whispers, pressing her warm hand against his cold cheek. "But if we don't move in three minutes, we’re both going to be."
They spend the night in a hidden cave. As the suppressants wear off, Luka’s heightened senses return with a vengeance. The "bond fever" common to his species begins to stir. He is overwhelmed by Maya’s scent—vanilla and ozone—and the realization that a human risked everything to pull him from the dirt. The Resolution
