Bo and the Beast (Book #1) (Completed)

9. Accepting the Bargain

Her blood chilled as she stared at the form of terror that every human lived under during the battle for earth. The Beast of Lyx was far worse than any normal alien. He was a bloodthirsty killer, able to rip men apart with his bare hands and rumored to be impossible to kill with anything less than a bomb. Bo remembered the stories of him taking down an entire platoon of trained soldiers within minutes. The rumors were that even the aliens feared him.

Here he stood, inches from her, threatening her dad. She didn't doubt that he would bite her dad's head off or rip him in half if he wanted.

"Hey!" Bo screamed, lunging forward and making a swipe for the Beast's shoulder. Fear burst through her, but she pushed it down as she struggled to get a grip of the his uniform. He snarled and stepped out of her reach as his robot dashed forward and floated between her and the alien.

"Please keep all limbs within the cell, ma'am," the robot said, but Bo wasn't paying any attention to it. Panting, she stood up straight under the alien's gaze. Let him slaughter her like his reputation said he would. She'd fight to her last breath to keep him from her dad.

"Bo, quiet!" her dad whispered urgently, trying to get her attention from between the bars separating them. Bo ignored him, tilting her head back and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know who you are," she said. "The Beast of Lyx. And I hope it hasn't escaped your notice that even though I know that, I'm not afraid of you. In fact, I'm going to make your life a living hell if you don't let us go."

The Beast didn't laugh at her preposterous claims. He didn't show any emotion except for motioning with a flick of his finger for the robot to unlock Bo's cell door. For a wild moment, Bo thought her bluff might have somehow worked, but then the robot's metal clamp slammed down on her wrist and she was dragged from the cell toward the alien.

Her heart flopping wildly in her chest, Bo froze as she was stopped just a foot from the Beast of Lyx. Images of the battlefields he'd left in his wake flickered through her mind, and she temporarily forgot her defiance as he towered over her.

"Your father stole something from me," he said. "He must repay the debt."

Bo shivered despite her best efforts to maintain the courageous brashness she'd displayed earlier. She knew it was no use trying to plead with the creature, but she still had to try for her dad's sake. "He's too old for whatever you have planned." A lump formed in her throat as she realized just how much her dad had changed over the years. While he'd once been the leader of the camp, now he was someone she had to take care of. "He won't last enough for you to get any repayment from him."

The Beast didn't immediately answer. When he did, his voice ran down her spine like claws. "Fine. You can replace him as a servant in my household."

"What?" Bo asked, not quite sure what she was hearing.

"Him or you."

Bo's mouth went dry at the offer. The injustice of it all stung the most. Whatever her father had done did not merit slavery, and to have to chose between herself and her father was a cruel joke. The Beast stared at her, completely at ease because he knew that he would win either way. He either got revenge on the old man who had the misfortune to stumble upon his realm, or he got the juicy new meat that could do whatever he wanted.

Bo's eyes slowly traveled to where her dad stared in horror from his cell. He rapidly shook his head. She knew what he would say if he could have found his voice. The camp needed her more than him. She was more their leader now, the one who took care of their needs and kept the whole place afloat. He would tell her she was more valuable. But even though she knew what was best of the camp, she couldn't quit make it fit with what was best for her. If she left her father behind and returned to camp, she would never be able to live with herself. She couldn't take being the cause of both her parents' ends. So, for the very first time in forever, she did what she wanted to do instead of what would benefit the camp.