by Presley Hall
The sun is nearing the horizon, sending long shadows over the ground, and as the last few rumbles fade away, the light on my borrowed blaster flickers and goes out again.
I flop back onto the grass, my entire body tingling from head to toe as leftover adrenaline surges through me and the slight breeze chills my sweat-dampened skin. Suddenly, my mouth drops open on a wild laugh. I stare up at the sky and the ring arcing across it as laughter pours out of me.
Jaro’s face appears above me, his brows pinched with concern. “Sadie? Are you all right?”
He’s braced himself on one elbow to look down at me, and the expression on his face suggests that he’s worried I’ve gone completely mad—as if that latest brush with death has pushed me solidly over the edge into lunacy. I bite my lip, trying to get my laughter under control, then shake my head as I let out a long breath.
“I’m okay. I’m all right. I just… fuck, Jaro.” I chuckle again, staring up at him. “I’ve never come this close to dying so many times in less than a week. My life back home was so safe and predictable. I made it that way on purpose, trying to get over the fear Adam left me with. But here? I’ve never felt so alive. Like I’m in control of my destiny. Fear took so much from me, but this place—you—have given so much back.”
A smile spreads across his face, and he leans down to kiss me. “You have given me more than I ever hoped for, my kira.” Then he nips at my bottom lip, his hand sliding over my bare stomach as he pulls me closer to him. “But I plan to make sure you have far fewer brushes with death from now on. I’ll find other ways to remind you that you’re alive.”
The deep growl of his voice makes goosebumps pop out along my skin, and I grin against his lips. “Deal. I like the sound of that.”
Jaro, true to his word about keeping me safe, only gives us a few minutes to recover before he’s pulling me to my feet again. The light around us is already starting to fade, and when he points out that scavengers could be coming soon, drawn by the smell of decomposing flesh, that’s enough to get my wobbly legs moving.
I’d love nothing more than to lie down and rest for a week, but we make our way quickly through the forest, foraging as we go and finding shelter only when it’s fully dark. I’ve barely finished eating the last of my food before my eyelids droop shut, and when Jaro pulls me onto his lap and wraps his arms around me, I don’t resist one bit.
I fall asleep like that, cradled against his warm body with my head resting on his chest, and when I wake up, I’m still in his arms. We’re lying side-by-side in the small sheltered area between two trees where we made camp, and Jaro’s warm body chases away the chill in the air as his hand splays possessively over my stomach, his fingertips brushing the underside of my breast beneath my hacked-off shirt.
There’s something so comfortable and familiar about the way he’s holding me and touching me that it makes a sleepy smile spread across my face. I don’t know what it was like for Charlotte when she mate-bonded with Droth, but when the bond flared to life between me and Jaro, it was so strong that it sort of felt like we jumped directly to the end-point of our relationship, as far into the deep end as it was possible to go.
I’m realizing more and more that it isn’t like that, though. Although the bond gave us a massive push in the right direction, it wasn’t the end.
It was just the beginning.
And with every day that we spend together, I can feel our relationship deepening, the trust and respect and attraction between us growing as we learn more about each other. There’s so much I still want to know about the man holding me in his arms, and I’m grateful beyond words that I’ll have the rest of my life to learn everything about him.
Assuming we make it back to the village in one piece.
Come on, universe. I shake my head wryly, snuggling deeper into Jaro’s embrace. After everything, I think you owe us that.
Maybe something in the universe hears me, or maybe we just get lucky, because for the next two days, there are no dead bodies, no caves, and no monster attacks.
The scratches Jaro got from the winged things in the cave aren’t bad, and although we’ve both got some bruises from the falling rocks, neither of us sustained worse injuries than that—so I consider it a win.
We travel as fast as we’re able, speaking in low voices as we make our way across the landscape. Jaro seemed so quiet and closed-off when I first met him, unlikely to either speak or smile, but now we never seem to run out of things to say to each other.
At night, we fall into each other’s arms, and although he’s still careful with me, I can feel my gorgeous warrior starting to let go more and more as my anxiety fades. The passion that pours out of him in those moments when he’s holding nothing back almost overwhelms me, but in a good way.
In the best way.
On our third day of travel after leaving the cave behind, Jaro stops suddenly, glancing at our surroundings. Then he catches my gaze and grins. “We’re close.”
My knees go a little wobbly as my eyebrows shoot up. It’s not that I doubted his ability to take us in the right direction, but after being separated from the others so long, part of me couldn’t imagine that we’d ever actually find them again.
But we have. We’re close.
He must recognize this part of the terrain. I’m sure he and the other Voxerans venture out of the village to hunt and forage often.
A grin spreads across my face, and I launch myself into Jaro’s arms. He catches me easily, holding me as if I weigh nothing as our lips meet in a fierce kiss. With my legs wrapped around him, I draw back, threading my fingers through his thick brown hair.
“We did it.”
He nods, happiness gleaming in his beautiful green eyes. “We’re almost home, my kira.”
My heart skips a beat at that word. A week ago, I probably would’ve openly laughed at anyone who suggested the Voxeran village could become a home to me. But now, that’s exactly what it feels like. It’s the place where Jaro and I will build the beginning of our life together.
We kiss again, heat flaring between us before Jaro reluctantly sets me back on my feet so we can continue walking. My body definitely feels the effect of so much hiking over the past few days, but I still find the energy to pick up my pace, almost jogging beside Jaro as excitement floods my veins.
After a while, we encounter a patch of burned plants, and Jaro takes my arm, tugging me a little closer to him.
“Stinging vines,” he tells me. “We’ve cleared away most of them near the village, so there shouldn’t be any left alive in that patch.”
Even so, we give the area a wide berth. I don’t know exactly what stinging vines are, but I’ve learned to respect this planet and the dangers it holds, so I make a mental note never to go near any unidentified vines.
A few minutes later, Jaro makes a noise in his throat. I follow his gaze and see the village rising out of the lush forest ahead of us. A wall surrounds the perimeter, and the settlement looks fairly large. As we walk through the gate and into the village, I’m surprised at how well-made the buildings are. They’re rustic, sure, made out of wood almost like log cabins. But they look solid enough, and there are a lot of them laid out inside the village walls. There are a few bigger buildings too, ones that look less like dwellings and more like communal spaces.
We’re only a few yards away from the gate when I catch sight of another Voxeran. I don’t recognize him from the group that came to find us at the crash site, but he obviously recognizes Jaro. His face lights up, and instead of coming forward to greet us, he darts off deeper into the village, calling out for Droth and the others.
“Rath,” Jaro tells me quietly. “He and his brother Zayre are two of the youngest in the village.”
I chuckle. “Well, he looked happy to see us, at least.”
Before Jaro can respond, there’s a commotion up ahead. I hear excited voices before I see anyone, and a moment later, several women come racing around the corner of one of the huts. Charlotte i
s in the lead, and she pulls me into a tight hug when she reaches me.
I stiffen a little, surprised by the exuberance of her greeting. It’s not like we’re great friends or anything. But then again, this is pretty much the same way I greeted her when she and Droth and the others showed up at the crash site. I was so fucking relieved to see her alive and in one piece that the fact that we were almost total strangers seemed irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was that she was okay.
Relaxing in her bone-crushing embrace, I wrap my arms around her too.
“You guys made it,” I say, happiness filling my voice.
“You made it.” She gives me another squeeze and then releases me, stepping back to meet my gaze. Her brunette hair is pulled back from her face, and she has a wide piece of leather wrapped around her torso and a modified loincloth tied around her hips like a skirt. “Droth sent Axen and Kzuri to try to find you, but they weren’t able to pick up your trail. We thought…”
She swallows, shaking her head as if she doesn’t even want to say it out loud.
“It’s all right,” I promise her. “It was scary and dangerous, but we made it through okay. I’m really lucky I had Jaro with me.”
Droth and several of the other men have gathered around us as well, and the Voxeran prince steps forward and claps Jaro on the shoulder, his blue eyes shining with pride. “I’m so glad to see you, my friend. I’m thankful you’ve returned to us.”
Jaro bows his head in a gesture of acknowledgement, and as their gazes meet again, I can see how much he respects and cares for his leader.
“And I’m glad to see you as well,” Droth adds, smiling at me. “Welcome to our village.”
“Thanks.” I bow my head too, mimicking Jaro’s gesture. “It’s good to be here.”
“We faced many dangers on the journey here,” my mate tells Droth, wrapping his hand around mine. “I’ll tell you the full story when time allows, but there are two things you should know about right away.”
“What is it?” Droth’s expression immediately turns serious, and I know Jaro has his full attention.
“As we worked together to survive, a bond formed between me and Sadie.” Jaro’s gaze flicks down to me, joy shining in his eyes. “We are mates.”
The men around us murmur quietly, and I hear several gasps from the women. Charlotte’s eyes widen slightly, but she doesn’t look dismayed by the news at all.
“Perhaps I should have guessed that,” Droth says with a small smile, glancing at our joined hands. “I’m happy for you both, and grateful to the gods for this blessing.” His brows lift a little. “What is the second thing?”
A grin pulls at my lips, and I nudge my mate when he hesitates for a moment, glancing down at the makeshift pouch we created with the fabric of my shirt. He tucked it into the band of his loincloth so he would have both hands free to fight if need be.
“Show him,” I murmur, shifting my gaze upward to meet Jaro’s eyes. “Show him what we found.”
23
Jaro
Droth’s brows draw together with curiosity at Sadie’s words, and he glances at me with a question in his eyes.
With Sadie’s encouraging, expectant gaze locked on me, I unhook the small pouch from where it hangs at my waist. Carefully, I untie the fabric, holding it open to reveal what’s nestled inside the small makeshift sack. Droth leans in to get a better look, and Charlotte and a few of the other women do the same. Around us, I can feel my fellow Voxerans’ attention focused solely on us.
I shift the chunks of rock around a little, and the red veins of diamantum glint in the sunlight. A few of the women make pleased noises, although I think that must just be because they like the way the bright red mineral looks and not because they know what it is.
But Droth goes still.
Not all the Voxerans probably know what diamantum is either. I do because my parents traded for it many years ago, and Droth does because he was raised as a prince of Vox. He was well-educated in military tactics and social customs, as well as trade and technology. He knows what this is… and what it could mean.
He stares at the rocks for a long moment, then lifts his gaze to meet mine. “Where did you find these?”
“In a cave several days’ journey from here,” I tell him. “The cave collapsed just after we collected these, so I don’t know if it will be possible to get more. But I think this will be enough.” I grimace almost apologetically. “I know there are many other components we will need—”
“—but this is a step toward our goal.” Droth cuts me off, looking pleased.
He wraps an arm around Charlotte, and I can tell he’s already making plans and calculations in his head, considering what we might trade in exchange for the other parts we’ll need, as well as the expertise of someone who can build the communication device for us. It won’t be an easy road, and there are many obstacles still in the way.
But he’s right. We’re one step closer.
Thanks to me and my mate.
Pride swells inside me, and I glance down at the fierce, brave woman by my side. When I leapt into the river after her, I didn’t know if either of us would survive. And I certainly never expected to find both my mate and hope for my people on the journey back to the village.
Ever since Droth and the others brought me back from the brink of death, I have been determined to repay them somehow. I’ve made myself a valuable member of the clan, and I know Droth trusts me and relies on me—but this feels different. Bigger.
Sadie wraps her arms around my waist, looking up at me with a wide grin that shows her even white teeth. Droth’s gaze darts from me to her and back again, and as he steps forward to take the pouch from me, he smiles, dropping his voice. “I take it you have changed your mind about the wisdom of inviting the Terran women to live with us?”
“Yes.” I nod, too happy to be bothered by his teasing tone. “It was an eventful journey, and I’m not the same man I was when we started out.”
“The mate bond can have that effect.” His smile broadens, and he glances back at Charlotte.
His features soften as he looks at his mate, his eyes warming. I can almost see the connection between them like a glowing thread cutting across the space, and I pull Sadie a little closer, loving the way her body melts against mine. I knew, when Droth decided to offer the Terran women a place among us, that it would change everything. But what I didn’t realize was that it would be for the better.
When Droth turns back to me, his expression grows serious. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to send more men after you. I’ve had hunting parties scouting the forest, but—”
I interrupt him with a dismissive gesture. “You did what any good leader would do. I made my choice when I dove into the river. All is well.”
He nods, his face still grave. I know he carries guilt for the failed uprising against his uncle, and that he feels a deep responsibility to every man here—even me, although I played no part in the rebellion. Leaving any member of his clan behind would not sit well with him, but I want him to know I don’t fault him.
“We have much to discuss,” he says, then steps back, coming to stand beside Charlotte as he grips the pouch in one hand. “But that can wait. You’ve had a long journey. Rest, eat, and bathe. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
I nod my thanks. I can feel exhaustion tugging at me, and I know Sadie has to be just as tired as I am, if not more so. My body is accustomed to covering long distances on foot and traversing the uneven terrain of the Nuthoran forests, but hers is not. She pushed herself beyond what I would have expected, keeping pace admirably with me. But now that we can rest, I’m determined to see that she’s well taken care of.
“Thank you,” I say. “We will.”
Sadie speaks to the other women for a moment, stepping out of my embrace to greet several more of them. She promises to tell them the story of our travels, and once they’ve been satisfied, I take her hand and lead her deeper into the village.
The fa
miliar sights, smells, and sounds of my home are all around me, and I try to look at it all with fresh eyes as I walk beside Sadie. I wonder what she sees as she takes in the small village where I’ve lived for the last three years with the other Voxerans. They had already built much of it by the time I arrived, but I helped construct several new buildings and fortify the walls around the settlement.
I’m proud of this place.
It’s not much, just a small haven on a wild and dangerous planet, but after years of having nothing that was my own, having a home means something.
We reach my dwelling after several moments, and I come to a stop outside the door.
As I turn to Sadie, my stomach goes tight. She’s been quiet ever since we parted from the others, her gaze swiveling back and forth to take in everything around her, and it suddenly occurs to me that perhaps she doesn’t see the beauty in this place like I do at all. Perhaps she only sees how small the huts are, how spare everything is.
I want to give my mate the stars, but all I have to offer is this.
Clearing my throat, I release her hand and gesture to the hut. “This is my home. Your home, if you would like it to be. But if you prefer to stay with the other women—”
She doesn’t even let me finish. Her arms go around my neck, and she cuts off my words by leaning up to kiss me. Her fingers brush the nodes at the top of my spine as our lips meet, making my cock jerk at the sudden surge of arousal that floods my veins. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her tighter against me.
When our lips break apart, she bumps her nose against mine, gazing into my eyes. “Of course I want to live with you. My home is with you now, wherever that is. In this village, on this planet, anywhere in the universe.” She smiles, her gaze darting over to my small dwelling. “And this is perfect.”
I laugh, leaning in to kiss her again. “You haven’t even seen the inside of it yet.”
She shrugs. Her body molds to mine as she leans into me, and her blue eyes shine like stars. “Doesn’t matter. I love it. I love you.”