Eden was getting confused. They seemed to have reversed their positions on how they saw the situation and now she didn’t know what she thought or believed.
“I don’t think that matters,” Pyra said. “Yes, that’s how it worked out, but I don’t think that that’s the only way that it could have. Even if you didn’t go to Uoria when Ryan wanted you to, all of us would still have end up on Earth and nothing would have kept me from you. You are my passion, my love, my everything. You have been intended for me from the moment of my birth and just as I knew that you were meant to be my mate as soon as you stepped off of that shuttle, I would have known that I was going to meet you when I was on my way to Earth and then would have been able to find you. It would have been my draw to you and my need to be with you that would have led me to you and the rest of the crew to the laboratory. We would have found you and rescued you, and we would still be right here, fighting to make sure that Ryan doesn’t get away with what he’s done and isn’t able to hurt anyone else.”
She looked into Pyra’s eyes and saw the rich orange glow of his eyes, knowing that hers reflected the same color. She reached over and ran her fingers down the side of his face.
“I know that there is one thing that would be very different if I hadn’t come to Uoria when Ryan sent me.”
“What’s that?” Pyra asked, tilting his face into her touch.
“If I hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have been attacked by the Klimnu. I wouldn’t have had to go to the clinic and Ciyrs wouldn’t have had to heal me.”
“And that would mean that you wouldn’t be a Denynso,” Pyra said.
Eden shook her head sadly.
“I wouldn’t. I would still just be human. I wouldn’t be Denynso and I wouldn’t be a healer.”
Pyra took both of her hands in his and kissed her palms.
“You have done so much good with these hands,” she said. “You have removed pain, healed injuries, and saved lives. You are the most amazing thing, the most amazing person, I have ever encountered. There is no other being like you in the entire universe.”
“What about Elianna?” Eden asked. “She is a human woman and she gained healing powers when she went to live in the Denynso compound.”
Pyra shook his head and drew her closer to him so that he could wrap his arms tightly around her waist.
“It’s not the same,” he said. “She is still human. She gained healing powers because of Ciyrs, not because of herself. You are Denynso. Your DNA changed, and you are as much a healer as he is. I know that you don’t think about that much and that you don’t consider yourself like him, but you are. You are talented and skilled, and are invaluable to our kind. But that isn’t what matters to me about you.”
“It’s not?” Eden asked.
She knew that it didn’t matter much to Pyra that she had taken on the healing powers of Ciyrs when he healed her back from the brink of death, but she wanted to hear him tell her. She needed to hear the affirmation, the validation of his adoring voice.
“No,” he said. “What matters to me is that you are you. There is nothing like looking into your eyes and seeing the rich, beautiful orange that tells me that you are my mate and that you love me as much as I love you. None of the other warriors who fell in love with women outside of our kind have that. They had to wait for their mates to tell them how they felt and no matter what they will always have to wonder what they are thinking or how they are feeling. I will never have to do that. I can simply look at you and know that just as passionate as I am about you, you are about me. You have the same devotion, the same commitment to me. There is nothing more important to me than that.”
Eden felt her heart soar, but just before she could begin to respond to him, she heard Lysander coo from his cradle across the room. She turned to look at him and saw their tiny son shifting slightly, sighing as he settled deeper into the bed that they had made for him. His lips turned up briefly in a smile and then his face relaxed as he fell deeper into sleep.
“I suppose there are two things that would be very different if I hadn’t followed Ryan’s commands and gone to Uoria when he told me to,” she said. “If I hadn’t come then and met you, Lysander never would have been born.”
Pyra stood from the bed and walked over to the cradle. He crouched down beside it so that he could gaze down into Lysander’s sweet face.
“He still would have been born,” Pyra said tenderly, the gentle tone in his voice so far removed from the harsh, violent anger that so often defined the Denynso and that had been her first impression of this tremendous warrior. “It might not have been at the same time, but he is permanent. He is irreversible. No matter what, we would have found each other, and Lysander would have been born. He was destined to be here.”
Eden climbed off of the bed and joined her mate beside their child. She looked down at him, feeling the same breath of awe fill her that always did when she just took the time to look at him and realize that this amazing little creature, this beautiful tiny baby, was her son. She had never been a woman who had spent much time thinking about being a mother or wishing that she had a child, yet now that she had Lysander in her life, she couldn’t imagine a single moment not being a mother, not having him to love and care for and raise to be the best man, the best warrior, that he could be.
“He was,” she said, reaching into the bed to run one fingertip along his little pink knuckles. “He was meant to be here and he will do amazing things for his people and for the world.”
Chapter Eight
Elianna heard the familiar sound before she stepped into the infirmary. The long, distinct sound of fabric tearing cut through the quiet that had settled around the compound as most of the people there had broken off from the small groups that they had formed during the day and dispersed into the houses, storage buildings, and temporary camps that they had set up throughout the compound to rest for the night. She stepped into one of the rooms that they had set up to treat the wounded and found Ciyrs standing alone in the center of the room, tearing sheets into long bandages that he placed on the table beside him. They tangled around each other, creating a mound that got larger and more chaotic the more strips he added to it.
Ciyrs didn’t seem to notice her presence as Elianna came into the room and crossed to him.
“Hi,” she said.
He looked over his shoulder at her and finished tearing the piece in his hand into three more bandages.
“Hi,” he said.
“Have you been here all day?” she asked.
Even though they had been in the compound together since leaving the ship, she felt like she had had little time to actually spend with her mate. They had both been so busy after battle trying to heal those who had been wounded and assist the entire crew in getting assimilated to their new surroundings in the compound. Though they had all hoped, though silently, that they would spend little time in the compound and would be back on the ship on their way home to Uoria within a matter of days, it had become very clear that that was not the case. They had already been there for far longer than Elianna would have expected them to be, and every day that passed without another battle left her feeling more unsure of the future that lay ahead of them. Though the thought of fighting was frightening and she didn’t want to see her mate go back out into the danger, without the fighting there could be no resolution. Something needed to happen, they needed to keep progressing, yet everything seemed to have stalled.
“There’s been a lot to do,” Ciyrs said. “Some of the injuries are more extensive than I expected them to be and the hybrids are more difficult to heal because of the confusion of their DNA.”
“I know,” Elianna said. “I know how hard you’ve been working.”
“I feel like I’ve been tearing bandages for hours.”
“You probably have been.”
Elianna reached for another piece of sheet so that she could help him tear it into the long bandages that they would use to protect and support the wounds of thos
e injured during the battle, and those still dealing with the injuries that they had experienced on Earth. They tore the bandages for a few silent seconds, the sound of the fabric ripping becoming almost meditative as they created the strips and let the pile continue to build.
“Quimm’s healing finally took,” Ciyrs said, breaking the quiet.
Elianna smiled at him.
“It did? That’s wonderful. I knew that you could do it.”
“I was really concerned. It didn’t seem like it was that bad of an injury when it happened. I thought that it would just take a session or two and some of the ointments, but he didn’t respond. I was scared that we were going to lose him.”
“I know you were. But we didn’t. He’s mending. He’ll be completely well soon enough and probably stronger than ever.”
“What would we have done if he died?” Ciyrs asked. “What would we do if any of us didn’t make it while we were here? I can’t bear the thought of leaving anyone behind here. Not even people who we just found on Earth. Even the hybrids who have joined us. None of them, none of us, deserve to be left behind here.”
“And no one will be,” Elianna reassured him. “The worst for all of them is over now. Their injuries are healing and the risk is less. And when the fighting starts again, we will all be better prepared to handle whatever they have for us.”
“And I will be ready to handle the injuries,” Ciyrs said. “It’s the most important thing that I can do.”
Elianna put down the fabric that she held and stepped up in front of her mate. She placed her hands on either side of his face and tilted it so that he looked at her. Leaning forward to kiss him, she offered a warm smile.
“I am so proud of you,” she said, the relief in her heart making her feel even more that everything was alright and that the worst truly was over.
“Of what?” Ciyrs asked. “I am a healer. That is what I was born and destined to do.”
“Exactly,” Elianna said. “The fact that you know that now, that you aren’t questioning it or your abilities anymore, makes me so happy. I hated to see what you went through after the baby’s mother died. It was like there was a part of you that was missing and without it, you didn’t know who you were. I didn’t know who you were. Like you said, healing is what you were meant to do. It is wonderful seeing you doing what you were meant to do again and healing those who need it.”
Ciyrs brushed a lock of her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear.
“Do you know how absolutely incredible you are?” he asked.
Elianna tilted her head at him, looking at him questioningly.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You are so supportive of me and encourage everything that I do without even for a second stopping to think that I’m not the one that is actually anything special. Being a healer is what I was supposed to do from the moment that I was born. It is my destiny. I’ve been training for it since I was young, even more than I have trained to fight. Healing people is as natural to me as breathing and just as expected. You, though, you are something beyond comprehension.”
“Because I can heal?” Elianna asked.
“Yes,” Ciyrs said with a laugh. “You can do the same thing that I can. You have the same power to heal. I’ve taught you to make the same potions. You have been able to help people in this compound just as much as I have.”
“That’s not true,” Elianna said. “You’ve done far more. You’ve saved the lives of men who I never could have. I might know how to make the ointments, but you know them by heart. You can make them faster and stronger. You know how to make more of them than I do. You can control your healing far better than I can.”
“That’s only because you haven’t been doing it for as long as I have,” Ciyrs told her. “With practice, it will be easier and more natural to you. You will be able to do everything that I can, and possibly even more.”
Elianna shook her head again.
“I’m not that special,” she said. “Remember, Eden is a healer, too. She might not do it as often as we do, but she is able to perform healings and helped many of the people in the basement in the laboratory.”
“Yes,” Ciyrs said. “That’s true. But she’s not human. Remember that. When I saved her life, it was in exchange for her being human. The healing completely changed her DNA and turned her into a Denynso healer. It is a rare and special gift for the powers of a healer to be transferred to his mate during the bonding. It doesn’t always happen, and it has never happened for a human woman. You are the only human woman to have the healing powers of a Denynso. You are truly and incredibly unique and every day I am more honored to have you beside me as my partner and as my mate.”
Elianna pressed her lips to Ciyrs’s again, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth before placing her hands on his hips to guide him back so that he leaned back against the table. She moved her mouth to his neck and kissed her way down as she brought her hands to the laces at the front of his shirt and released them. The fabric fell away beneath her fingers as she pushed away the sides to reveal his chest and taut, rippling belly. No matter how many times she saw this man without his clothing, she was intoxicated simply by the look of his exquisite body. It felt like it had been so long since she had been able to touch him and she couldn’t resist the craving for him any longer.
Leaning against the table brought him down to a low enough height that by the time that she reached the middle of his neck Elianna was able to lower down off of the balls of her feet to continue her progress down his body with her lips. She felt Ciyrs sigh and his muscles relax as she kissed him and ran her hands down his stomach. When she glanced up at him, she saw that his eyes were closed. Elianna stepped back enough to let her release the fastening at the front of his pants and open them, releasing his hardening cock into her hand. She took it eagerly, wrapping her hand around the shaft so that she could stroke it. His erection hardened intensely beneath her touch, becoming thicker and more delectable-looking with each passing second.
As she stroked, Ciyrs’s breath deepened and he relaxed further against the table, his thighs parting further to grant her greater access. Elianna lowered herself to her knees in front of him, bringing herself to the perfect height so that her face was even with his powerful erection. From this vantage point she could see the shimmering drop of fluid that was forming at the very tip and gliding down, welcoming her to touch him more. She brought her hand down to wrap firmly around the base of his shaft, positioning it so that it was primed for the attention that she craved giving him. Urging herself to move slowly, to savor every moment that she had, Elianna touched the tip of her tongue just above her hand and ran it up the underside of his cock, following the thick vein there. When she reached the engorged head, she traced the curve of the crown, pausing when she returned to the back to concentrate on the bundle of sensitive nerves at the top of the shaft.
Ciyrs groaned. Taking the pleased sound as an invitation, Elianna flicked her tongue along the slit at the tip of her mate’s cock and let it dip in briefly. Finally, she opened her mouth, indulging her desire to taste him fully. He filled her mouth so completely that she could feel the tip of his erection pressing against her throat. She relaxed, allowing her tongue to swirl around his fullness as he slid partially into her throat. Ciyrs’s hand touched her back, holding her in place as she continued to worship him. Her mouth slid along his length, her tongue stretching and curving to touch every ridge and vein so that there was not a single inch of him that wasn’t given attention. Her hand continued to hold his shaft, making small, tight strokes to ensure that she was fully enveloping him as her mouth moved along him.
The sounds bubbling from Ciyrs’s chest were delicious in Elianna’s ears and she continued to suck, gradually increasing the depth and speed of her movements as she coaxed him toward oblivion. She wanted to give him everything, to offer him release that would, if only for a few moments, allow him to leave the tense, challenging space where his mind
had been since they left the ship. Suddenly she felt his hands on her arms, squeezing just beneath her shoulders and pulling on her as if to guide her up. Elianna withdrew his cock from her mouth and stood, keeping her hand wrapped around him firmly, unwilling to let him go.
“What?” she asked. “Aren’t you enjoying this?”
“Oh, I’m enjoying it,” Ciyrs said breathlessly, “but I want more. I want to be inside you.”
Elianna felt herself flush with the wave of arousal that flooded through her. She bit down on her bottom lip and ran her hand along his cock a few more times.
“I wanted something just for you,” she said.
Ciyrs shook his head.
“I want something for both of us.”
Elianna stepped back, reluctantly releasing his erection, and undressed. She kept her eyes focused on his, enjoying the way they seemed to darken slightly and slumber with desire for her. This was the man who had saved her life, and to whom she had then devoted it. When she was fully bare, Ciyrs stood and slipped his shirt back off of his shoulders and then stepped out of his pants. It felt like it had been so long since she had been able to be with him and she couldn’t wait to feel his body against hers. Ciyrs climbed up so that he sat on the table and reached for her. Taking her by the waist, he lifted her up and onto his lap. She rested her hands on his shoulders and used them to hold her steady as he wrapped his arm around her hips and held her firmly. She felt him guide the tip of his erection toward her waiting core and stroke it into her warm, wet folds. It touched her taut, sensitive clit and she gasped, her head falling back as the sensation overtook her.
Ciyrs pressed his fingertips into her hip and pulled Elianna down, simultaneously guiding himself into her so that he sank all the way within her body in one deep thrust. Elianna settled into his lap, letting her thighs relax on either side of him so that he filled her completely. She started to sit forward, but Ciyrs flattened his hand into the center of her chest and guided her back so that she leaned slightly away from him. The position allowed him to run his hand down her chest and belly and into the valley between her thighs, reaching the place where their bodies met. Continuing to hold her tightly around the hips, Ciyrs turned his hand so that the pad of his thumb nestled onto her tight pearl.
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