Bitten in Secrets and Desire

Claimed By The Morrak Book 3

Leann Ryans

Copyright © 2026 Leann Ryans

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Cover design by: Dazed Designs

Author Note:

Thanks so much for choosing this book! Before diving in, I want to take a quick moment for those new to me who didn’t read the first two(three!) books.

This story contains elements of omegaverse, a romance framework that uses biologically differentiated roles (alphas, betas, and omegas) layered into the worldbuilding. These roles can influence instinct, reproduction, and social structures. In my version of omegaverse, these dynamics are used to explore trust, power, cultural conflict, and intimacy across species.

If this is your first omegaverse story, welcome! No prior knowledge required.

Content Notice:
This book includes mature themes, alien cultural norms that are different to ours, and intense relationship dynamics. If you prefer to know specifics in advance, I maintain a content guide for the book on my website: https://leannryans.com

Check the end of the book or my website for a Morraki Glossary!

She was never supposed to matter.
He was never supposed to care.

Elaina wanted to study the Morrak, not mate one.

An intelligence analyst, she dreamed of new languages and hidden messages, not an alien bond she didn’t ask for, but when Drazien singles her out at the Selection Gala, her quiet world is shattered.

Drazien’s loyalty was to the mission. He didn’t want emotional complications,
He wanted bait.

With rebels threatening the alliance, he volunteered to choose the next Human as a lure to draw out the enemy.

He planned to use her.

He didn’t plan to fall.

When Elaina spots a rebel attack and saves them both, the deception between them is cracked open. She offers to risk herself again, but if she’s going to be used, it’ll be on her terms.

Together, they set a trap that could crush the threat to the alliance…

If Drazien can let her go through with it.

They began as a lie, but something real awakens.

The line between pretending and instincts blur.

And the alien warrior who meant to sacrifice her,

May burn everything down to keep her.

Chapter One

Elaina

My alarm blared with the assurance of something that knew it ruled my life. Groaning, I rolled onto my side before forcing myself upright and stumbling across the room. By the time I reached the source of the obnoxious noise, I was awake enough not to smash it to pieces like I wanted.

Bracing one hand on the dresser, I reached for the glasses I left there each night, fumbling around until my fingers connected with smooth plastic. I’d always preferred metal frames, but the military didn’t allow them. It was one of the many things I’d given up for my career as an intelligence analyst.

Like sleeping past the crack of dawn.

Yawning, I tried to shake off the lingering drowsiness as I pulled out my PT uniform. I hated PT days since they highlighted the extra curves I’d sported my whole life, but luckily I’d scored high enough during training for the chain of command to restrict their punishments to increasing my PT instead of kicking me out like they could have. There weren’t many others familiar with the number of languages I was, and it was an advantage I regularly used.

The one bonus to these mornings was that I was out of the house within fifteen minutes. No need for makeup when I was going to sweat it off in less than an hour. Everything I needed to be presentable when I reported for duty was already packed in my duffle, so all I had to do was brush my teeth and re-braid my messy curls.

After two hours of torture and another to clean up, I strode into headquarters and took my place at my desk. One of the things I loved about my job was the independent nature of it, where everyone in the room had their own tasks to complete, and we were mostly left alone to do so. As long as we finished everything on time, the higher-ups left us alone unless they were giving us a new assignment.

“Voss.”

I turned my head, hiding my wince as stiff muscles protested the motion. We had amazing setups, with a team dedicated specifically to ergonomics, but I was always sore after a workout. The drill sergeant made sure of it.

Major jerked his head towards the room behind him before disappearing into it. I was in the middle of decoding the last message he’d assigned me, but it wouldn’t be the first time they’d thrown something else in my lap in the middle of something. Everyone in the room was fluent in both English and Common, but each of us knew other languages as well, so it wasn’t odd that I was the only one singled out.

Locking my computer, I rose and straightened my uniform as I made my way to his office, sucking in my belly and trying not to breathe. It also wouldn’t have been the first time I’d been called in to be reminded I still wasn’t what the military standards demanded of a woman my age, and that was a berating I wanted to avoid.

“You’ve received a special assignment from the UEC.”

I straightened at the Major’s words, a hint of excitement stirring. Something from the United Earth Council meant it had to do with one of the alien species we were in contact with, or possibly a new one yet to be introduced to the general population. A new species meant a new language, and I was already trying to decide which framework to use on it first when that bubble of excitement was popped by his next words.

“You are to attend the Morraki Selection Gala, Friday, at the Eurasian Alliance Building. 1900 hours. Formal attire is required. It cannot be black.”

I couldn’t help the frown that creased my brows. I was aware of the Morrak, the new alliance with them had been all over the news for months. It had prompted me to study as much of their language as I could get access to, but I hadn’t informed anyone yet since I couldn’t claim fluency.

“What’s the assignment?”

Major gave me a blank look that said he questioned my intelligence, but it was nothing I wasn’t used to. He was the type who was hard to impress, and I was the quiet one who didn’t make waves. The one he forgot about until something reminded him I existed.

That was the way I preferred things.

“To attend the gala. The information packet has been forwarded to you. Dismissed.”

A hesitant wiggle of excitement tried to break through the confusion. It was possible the orders came from higher up and he didn’t know why I was being ordered to attend, and the thought of working on an assignment above his clearance almost made me salivate as much as a new alien language to learn, but I couldn’t imagine an instance where that was the case.

The walk back to my desk was slower, a sense of dread sitting heavy in my stomach as I neared my computer. I wasn’t an ops agent to be sent undercover on missions to extract information, I was the glasses behind the desk who figured out what the information meant. I could dream of being sent to the gala so I might mingle with important figures and overhear some vital piece of information, but I wasn’t 007 material. I was more likely to remain glued to the wall, trying not to hyperventilate.

I dropped into my seat and stared at the black screens taking up my vision. My hands seemed to move on their own as I typed in my passwords and opened my messages, “Morraki Selection Information” standing out amidst the headers.

What I read seemed more unlikely than being told I was to become a spy, but it didn’t change even after reading through the material several times. The Morraki Selection Gala I’d been told to attend sounded like something they’d pulled from the history books, where people with fancy titles paraded around and tried to find other people with more money or fancier titles to marry.

Except it was aliens, and they called it bonding.

And to be approved to attend this gala, they’d apparently tested my DNA, because it would have to be changed if I was chosen.

I sat and stared for so long I startled when someone passed my desk. My eyes cut to the time when I spotted another person heading for the door. It was time for lunch, but I hadn’t finished anything I was supposed to have done that morning.

Looking over my shoulder, I spotted the Major leaving his office. He didn’t always come back after lunch, and I was out of my seat before I made the decision to move.

“Major!”

I caught a few looks as I jogged to catch him before he reached the door, and he turned to face me with a frown. He knew as well as I that I wasn’t working on anything that would excuse chasing after him, and his frown only deepened when I had to pause to catch my breath before speaking.

“I still don’t understand. Why am I being sent to the gala? I didn’t sign up for this.”

His eyes hardened, mouth flattening into a thin line.

“You signed up to serve your country. You were given an order, and you’re expected to follow it.”

I knew my mouth was hanging open, and I felt the heat in my cheeks from the flush I likely sported, but I was still too confused to stop myself.

“But—”

“Without question.”

The stern tone and glare had my jaw snapping shut, the rest of my protest caught in my throat. The Major turned and stomped through the door, leaving me blinking at his back, and there was nothing left for me to do but return to my desk and the work that made sense. It wasn’t until almost time to leave that I noticed the email from my uncle.

Elaina,

You should be receiving a summons from the UEC to attend the Morraki Selection Gala this Wednesday. Each Councilor is required to submit an unwed woman from their family as a candidate for the gala, and as your cousins are already married, you are the only one available.

I will see you there.

Councilor Hans Richter

Words were my thing, yet for the third time that day, they refused to make sense.

Besides a few summers spent at his home before my mother died, I hardly knew my uncle. There had been a moment when I was told he had become my guardian that I had thought I’d go live with him, but he’d believed it more important for me to remain in a familiar place, so he’d hired a string of nannies to take care of me until I was considered old enough not to need them.

Old enough being fifteen.

He’d continued to cover the bills until I graduated high school, when I was informed I was “ready to be an adult”, and all support ended.

Despite it all, I didn’t hate him. He had his own life, and it wasn’t his fault my mother had fallen asleep at the wheel and stuck him with the responsibility of another mouth to feed. That was one thing I couldn’t complain about when other kids I knew had gone hungry.

But that was what had led to me joining the military, and while I might complain about the PT requirement, there wasn’t anything else I could imagine doing with myself. I was good at my job, truly enjoyed studying languages and finding hidden messages in seemingly innocuous passages, and had no plans to quit.

Even if I occasionally had to obey orders that I didn’t like.

Nodding to myself, I typed a quick response assuring him I had received the summons and would be there. I could give my uncle one night for the years of support he’d given me. The order was to attend, not to be chosen, and I could manage that.

My lip curled at the thought of shopping for an appropriate dress. I generally hated crowds and avoided the major shopping centers even more than most stores, but there was no time to order something and risk it not fitting. I only had two days until the gala. It seemed odd that it was being held on a Wednesday, but I knew the government worked the same hours as the military.

All of them.

Plus some.

I considered stopping for a dress on the way home but decided I needed another day to prepare myself, and it was a good thing I did. There was a white package waiting outside my door, a note slipped under the black ribbon trying it shut, proclaiming “For the Gala.”

It didn’t surprise me that my uncle had sent a dress since he was going to be seen with me. The Councilors were high profile, and if I had chosen something he didn’t deem appropriate, it would have been bad for his image.

Still, I was a bit shocked at the shimmery purple fabric inside, and I refused to try it on until I was getting ready for the gala. I’d been released from duty at lunch so I’d have time to prepare before the speeder arrived to take me to my uncle’s shuttle. It was all a little overwhelming, so I tried to pretend I was only going to one of his house parties like I had as a child.

I couldn’t pretend once I slipped the silky fabric over my head, goosebumps breaking out along my flesh at the feel of it sliding over me. The low-cut neckline might have been fairly modest on a less endowed woman, but my curves filled out the bodice to an almost obscene degree, and I had to wriggle and tuck to get everything covered well enough that the thought of my uncle seeing me in it didn’t make me want to vomit.

My cheeks burned as I looked in the mirror. I’d never seen my curves as anything more than an inconvenience, but the way the dress hugged my frame had me suddenly realizing that men might not view them that way. Sexy was the last word I’d have used to describe myself, except in that dress.

“Focus, Elaina.”

The fancy dress had come with a pair of flashy silver heels, but I already felt like the slit and neckline would draw too much attention. And while I could walk in heels, they were rarely comfortable, and I was already outside my comfort zone with so much skin exposed.

Instead, I opted for black flats. They made the train of the dress drag a little, but I wasn’t worried about it since I had no plans to dance.

I’d looked up a few hairstyles for my thick curls, but after applying more than my usual minimal makeup on top of the dress, I didn’t think I could handle anything else. I gave my hair a spritz and finger-combed it, trying to tame the frizz, but grew frustrated at the unfamiliar way the curls bunched around my neck and brushed my back. By the time I received the message that the speeder was arriving, my hair was back in its usual braid over my shoulder.

I spent the trip to my uncle’s shuttle reviewing the Morraki words I’d learned. Once I’d given in to the idea of having to attend the gala, I had decided it would be a good opportunity to test my knowledge and see if I had the pronunciation correct, and if I might be able to pick up a few new words. Without anyone who spoke Morraki, and very few recordings of the language, most of what I’d taught myself had been guesses based on the little I had to study.

The speeder touched town beside a shiny shuttle that looked brand new. The door was open, and a quick glance around revealed another speeder that likely belonged to my uncle, meaning he was already there and waiting.

Taking a calming breath, I climbed from the vehicle and walked towards the shuttle, an unfamiliar figure filling the opening before I could reach it.

“Ms. Voss, welcome. We will be launching as soon as you take your seat.”

The pleasant tone and calm smile didn’t reveal any hint of blame, but I still felt a stir of guilt despite the fact that I’d been waiting outside when the speeder arrived to collect me. Any delays couldn’t have been my fault, but telling myself that and convincing my fluttering heart of it, where two different things.

“Follow me.”

The man had backed from the doorway for me to enter and turned to stride through another as the airlock closed behind me. The interior of the shuttle was nothing like the public ones I’d been on, and once again I was reminded that my uncle was somebody, while I enjoyed being a nobody.

Trying to swallow the nerves, I straightened my shoulders and kept my chin level. I might have preferred to disappear into a corner, but I knew how to carry myself as if I belonged. My mother had made sure of that.

“Your niece has arrived.”

The man who still hadn’t introduced himself stepped to the side, revealing a desk at the back of the space usually filled with seats. There were two couches along the walls with low tables in front of them, but it was the man behind the desk who held my focus.

“Uncle Hans. It’s good to see you.”

Blue eyes similar to my mother’s lifted to rake over me. My mother had always said she envied my greenish-hazel, but I had wanted blue like hers.

“Elaina. You look more like your mother than the little girl I remember. I’m glad my assistant was able to find a dress for the evening that flatters your skin tone.”

I hadn’t expected an exuberant greeting, but the practiced smile and questionable compliment quelled the budding warmth in my chest.

“Well, Renata’s wedding was the first time we had seen each other in over a decade. I’m sure it’s easy to forget I’ve been on my own for so long and am no longer a child.”

His smile remained in place, but his eyes seemed to go flat. Any secret, tiny hope of rekindling family relations died, but I hid the disappointment behind the mask I donned each day for work.

“Indeed. I’m glad you’ve been able to live your own life after your loss.”

Offering a polite smile, I settled onto the end of the couch farthest from him, carefully shifting the skirt so it covered both legs instead of the way it wanted to spill open and expose one clear up to my underwear. My heart was fluttering again, my chest tight around each inhale, so I started reciting the Morraki language once more.

This was just an assignment. One I didn’t want, but orders were orders.

One reassuring fact was that there were going to be far more important people than me at the gala. Women with closer ties to the UEC and politicians on par with my uncle.

I could make it through a few hours of pretending to be polite while I listened in on those around me. If I was lucky, I’d hone my accent, and maybe learn a few new words, and by morning I would be back at my desk with a terrible cup of coffee, decoding pointless messages meant to waste time, and forgetting this whole absurd experience had ever happened.

I would survive, the way I always had.

Chapter Two

Elaina

The trip was thankfully short, even though arriving at the Eurasian Alliance Building didn’t provide an escape from my uncle until proper introductions had been made and another councilor drew him into a conversation. I took my time strolling around the room filled with people from all over the globe, as well as those from places beyond Earth. The architecture in Astana was the focus of many conversations, the glass windows of the ballroom showing off the strange beauty of it, but it was the people that caught my attention.

Every possible example of humanity seemed to be represented amidst the throng of black suits and gowns. Mingling with them, were three of the ethereal Qy’shaeuhl. Tall and slim, their oversized eyes and narrow face was enough to make them appear bird-like, even without the tiny feathers that covered them. Their pale coloration had also caused people to compare them to the mythical Fae, although there was still debate over which court they would belong to.

Many believed their apparent generosity covered a hidden agenda, but there was no proof. I’d always loved their language, the musical cadence of it making me wish it was one I could learn, but Human vocal cords couldn’t make many of the sounds.

In contrast to the Qy’shaeuhl, the Morrak had been compared to demons. Taller than Humans, they were broad and thickly muscled, with what looked like horns hugging their scalp. Each one I’d seen had dark, earthy skin tones. Their hair also seemed to only come in dark colors, and even the sclera of their eyes was black, although their irises came in startlingly bright colors, along with the glowing markings peeking from beneath their clothing. Their whip-like tail only added to their demonic appearance, making many stare after them.

One I recognized as Torvakai Kael Draevahn, his red crescent markings and the woman at his side sporting matching glowing marks making it easy to identify him. He was the leader of the Morrak, and the first who’d taken a Human as his mate.

There were two others attending the gala. One had blue markings and hair, and also had a woman at his side. The information I had received claimed only one Morraki was looking for a Human at this gala, and since the female at his side also had what looked like blue lightning glowing from her flesh, I doubted it was him.

The other sent a shiver down my spine the moment I spotted him. Skin darker than the others, he looked like he’d been dipped in black paint, and from where I stood across the room, I couldn’t make out any of the markings the others had. Even his eyes appeared solid black, and I instinctively dropped my gaze when he turned my way.

I was tempted to head to the bar for a drink, but I needed to remain clear headed, and the bar was too crowded for my comfort anyway. Instead, I searched for the leader of the Morrak once more. Already mated, he was the safest to target to complete my goal for the night.

Kael towered over those around him, making him easy to spot near the center of the ballroom. Unlike the other two Morraki, he seemed completely at ease amongst the Humans surrounding him, and was actively engaging with them. People approached constantly, the flow of councilors, diplomats, and other women in colored dresses like mine all eager to speak with the leader of our newest allies.

The woman at his side drew almost as much attention, and I finally remembered her name. Serenya Hale was the daughter of the former North American Alliance General who had been dismissed suddenly not long ago, and she looked nothing like the frightened bride the news channels had spent weeks speculating about.

She laughed at something one of the councilors said, the sound carrying above the murmur of conversation, while Kael's gaze remained fixed on her with an intensity that made my chest tighten.

Was it pride?

Possessiveness?

Some combination of both?

The way he watched her was almost unsettling. Not because it seemed threatening, but because it looked like she was his entire focus and the rest of the world only mattered because of its effect on her.

Every article I'd found before the gala painted the Morrak as territorial and instinct driven. A warrior society built on who was the strongest. I’d expected a man from that kind of society to be almost barbaric in his treatment of women, yet Serenya didn't look trapped or unhappy being tied to Kael. If anything, she looked comfortable.

Happy, even.

That alone was enough to make me question what I'd assumed.

I drifted closer, pausing beside a table displaying miniature desserts that looked far too much like art for anyone to actually eat.

“...protection plans for Halcyon?” one of the councilors was asking.

I watched Kael nod from the corner of my eye.

“We are heading there as soon as we return to the Zeydrassk, and other ships are already enroute. We will do everything we can.”

My shoulders slumped at his perfect, flawless Common. In a group of Humans, it made sense that he would use the language that connected us all instead of his native tongue, which none of them would understand.

I lingered anyway, holding out hope there might be something that didn’t translate. The conversation shifted from Halcyon and defense plans, to agricultural practices on Morrakan. It was all useful information, but none of it was what I wanted.

I needed to hear his language spoken how natives would speak to each other when they weren't addressing the public.

Another councilor approached, accompanied by a woman safely garbed in black, showing she wasn’t one of the selection candidates. She immediately turned toward Serenya, placing a hand on her arm and leaning close.

“Have you adjusted to being an alien?”

Serenya let out a quiet laugh, but I didn’t miss the way Kael’s tail tightened around her and pulled her closer to him.

“Mostly. Learning it was winter when I was melting each day has me glad we’re on a ship where I can control the climate while Morrakan becomes an oven.”

Several people laughed along with her, and I edged a little closer. I just wanted one sentence. Anything new to use to puzzle out their language.

Kael brushed his hand down her back, a smile tugging up one corner of his lips. His expression was soft as he looked down at her, and I had to swallow the lump that rose in my throat.

“I would never allow you to melt, veyrari. You will grow accustomed to the heat.”

The unfamiliar word immediately seized my attention as Serenya tossed her hair over her shoulder and scoffed. I didn’t hear her response, the new word repeating through my mind.

Veyrari.

The context made it sound like an endearment, but what did it mean? Mate? Something else entirely? The word sounded softer than most of the Morraki vocabulary I'd encountered, but there were too many possibilities to know how to break it down.

Unfortunately, Kael switched back to Common as they continued to talk with the others. I lingered another fifteen minutes before admitting defeat and drifting away.

One word. I'd spent nearly twenty minutes stalking the leader of an alien species, and had gained exactly one word, without a translation.

Not my most impressive intelligence operation.

I retreated toward the refreshments, reaching for a glass of sparkling water.

“Are the aliens not giving you the attention you deserve?”

I nearly gagged on the slime oozing from the voice behind me and whirled to face the man. He was dressed as nicely as the others at the gala, his dark locks slicked back from his face, sleezy smile frozen on his face as his eyes dipped to my cleavage.

“I’d rather be invisible.”

He barely managed to drag his gaze back up to meet mine, his expression making it clear he didn't believe the truth that I’d let slip.

“Right.”

I stared into my glass, trying to think of a polite way to ask him to move since he’d hemmed me in with the way he positioned himself. I wanted to cross my arms over my chest, but that would only show him he’d succeeded in making me uncomfortable which would encourage a man like him.

“If you didn’t want attention, why would you volunteer to go with one of them? Is no Human man good enough for you?”

The venom in his tone made me jerk my focus back to him, but a clump of women in black dresses moved towards the table and forced him to step aside. A few complimented my dress and I thanked them, and by the time I glanced around, the man had disappeared into the crowd.

Heaving a sigh, I downed the rest of the water and set the glass aside before looking for the Morraki with blue markings. If I remembered what I had read right, he was part of the team who had created the serum that would be injected into whichever woman the Morraki warrior chose, and I had to hope I would have better luck with him.

Finding him was as easy as spotting Kael, but he was harder to approach. Fewer people were clustered around him, and he seemed to be having an animated debate with a councilor I thought was a scientist or doctor of some sort. One of the Qy’shaeuhl also stood with the pair, and the woman I thought was Dr. Mara Keene. She was the other person who had helped create the serum.

I dropped into a chair nearby, pretending my feet hurt as I feigned interest in a display detailing Interspecies Cooperation Initiatives. The title alone nearly made my lip curl, but the conversation was interesting enough to keep me in place.

“I still don't understand how you stabilized the hormonal cascade.”

I turned my head a fraction, spotting the doctor from the corner of my eye. She was smiling as she shook her head, the noise she made half-laugh, half a scoff.

“We didn't.”

The Morraki at her side smiled as he tipped his head.

“Saed showed us a way to redirect it so that the ovaries compensated for the potential drop in luteinizing hormone.”

Again, flawless Common instead of Morraki, and my shoulders drooped. I waited, hoping a discussion on genetics would eventually make him slip into his native language to describe something, but he never stumbled. Every question, every explanation, was delivered in Common. I learned more about genetic modification in the ten minutes I lingered than I’d ever known before, but I learned almost nothing about Morraki.

At one point Nyrel muttered something under his breath and the unfamiliar syllables caught my attention, but before I could process them and hope he’d repeat himself, Dr. Keene cut in. Her smooth explanation showed an understanding of both the subject and where his vocabulary might falter, making them another dead end.

Rising, I made my way through the crowd towards Kael again, but I’d already accepted that I wasn't destined to make progress with their language after all. After another twenty minutes of eavesdropping on political debates, I finally surrendered.

My gaze swept the room as I heaved a sigh, landing on the dark one. He was as tall as Kael, but slimmer. He had a barely noticeable scar dimpling one cheek, and the tip of his ear was missing, adding to the air of danger around him.

There were no diplomats trying to catch his attention, nor doctors asking questions. Occasionally one of the other women in colored dresses would approach his island of isolation, but after a few words with the male whose expression never changed from an amused smirk, they’d slip away again.

He looked entirely unconcerned by the fact that he stood alone, the flow of people moving around him. When he did shift, people parted before him, as if he wore a sign that said to stay clear.

He was too intense. A snake in a henhouse. A living shadow, dark even amidst the black suits.

For a moment I considered trying to get closer, but he was the only Morraki without a woman at his side. I had no interest in catching his attention, even if he might be my last hope at overhearing his language.

I was still staring when his head turned and our eyes met for one brief moment. Ice slid down my spine and I looked away, grabbing a glass from the table beside me.

No.

Absolutely not.

Whatever language lesson I might gain wasn't worth the risk he radiated. Besides, he wasn't speaking to anyone, and the empty space around him would have made getting close enough to eavesdrop too difficult.

I found several more reasons to avoid him over the next thirty seconds, even if none of them felt entirely honest. The truth was simpler than all of them.

He unsettled me.

I didn't know why, and I had no intention of finding out.

I caught him walking through the room from the corner of my eye and turned to keep the distance between us. Unfortunately, that was the exact moment my uncle rediscovered me, the thin line of his mouth telling me he was unhappy that I’d avoided his presence for so long.

“Elaina.”

I pulled in a deep breath, settling a calm smile on my face as I swallowed. His hand wrapped around my wrist before I could respond, tugging it through the crook of his arm as he turned us to face three other councilors.

“Here’s my niece, Elaina. She’s been in my care since my sister died while Elaina was still young. She’s done well for herself, becoming an invaluable part of our military’s Intelligence Analysis unit.”

He smiled, and his voice was warm, filled with everything I’d hoped for when I had imagined seeing him again.

Not at me.

At them.

And just like that, the new bubble of hope popped, leaving me dragging my defeat behind me as he paraded me amongst my betters to prove he’d done his duty. He had provided a candidate for the alliance, although he stated it would be too great a loss if I was chosen.

As if I mattered to him.

To my country.

To anyone.

Chapter Three

Drazien

Humans built structures the same way they did everything else.

To impress each other.

Glass stretched overhead in sweeping arches that would have been a nightmare to defend, while walls designed to showcase the surrounding city left dozens of sightlines exposed. The entire layout was visible from outside, each exit obvious and impossible to protect. Any warrior with half a brain could identify the most important targets and eliminate them without even entering the room.

Fortunately for them, I wasn't working tonight.

The thought almost made me laugh as I gazed around at the milling bodies. Humans clustered together in groups that shifted and merged like swarms of blood-thirsty lyrek, displaying their status through glittering stones instead of scars. Words instead of weapons. The males wrapped themselves in restrictive jackets and pretended they weren't measuring one another while the females balanced on absurd shoes that limited mobility and exposed vulnerable joints.

Then they tried to claim they were the top predators on Earth. If so, our young could overthrow their entire planet.

A waiter passed carrying a tray of drinks. Three councilors reached for glasses before checking who was watching, sipping politely when others might notice, or tossing it back when they thought they wouldn’t be caught.

Predictable.

Every species had dominance displays. Humans generally preferred theirs less… physical than the Morrak.

I leaned against a pillar near the edge of the ballroom and watched them perform. The gala was supposed to be a way to give us a choice over who we would be tied to for the rest of our lives, but they used it to help strengthen diplomatic relations. The display reminded me why espionage on Earth was so easy.

Humans wanted to be liked, and they wanted it badly enough to ignore obvious dangers.

A hazardous flaw.

And a useful one, for me.

My gaze drifted across the crowd. Politicians, scientists, military officers… Earth’s entire infrastructure could be decimated by taking out this single room.

Then there were the selection candidates. Potential liabilities and unlikely to be assets in any but the obvious way. The future bait for the rebels.

I catalogued them the same way I would targets before a mission. I’d read through all of their files, discarding the ones who would never work for my plan, but there were several possibilities. Since the female would become my omega, I’d left myself the opportunity to make my final choice once I’d seen them in person.

I spotted the female in purple again. The smooth expanse of her shoulders drew my attention down to the swell of her breasts and my tail curled behind me. She was the only candidate not part of some group, flitting along the edges like the runt of the litter, too weak to force her way in, although it didn’t look like she was truly trying. She didn’t speak to anyone, drifting through the room in a way that made it seem as if she were mingling, but keeping herself apart.

A male had approached her at a refreshment table, eyeing her the way the varkuun eye a hunk of bloody meat, and the stiffness in her posture informed me he had been unwelcome. I’d taken a step towards them before stopping myself, but the male hadn’t lingered long.

Curiosity pulled me closer. Even though Humans didn’t have dynamics, they still had individual scents the way all animals did, but they were weak, and it was impossible to untangle hers from the others from so far away.

I wanted to know how she smelled.

I stalked the edges of the crowd, looking for an opportunity to corner her, but somehow she always managed to slip away. Those unfortunate enough to glance my way as I approached offered artificial smiles and I grinned back, showing the tips of my teeth and watching how they tried to hide their shiver of fear.

I was a true predator, while they were prey pretending they were safe.

Each time I drew near my quarry, something prevented me from closing in. Another candidate would try to engage me, some Human who thought they were important would try to draw me into conversation, or Kael would pin me with a stare that said I had better behave.

My grin grew sharper. I knew my reputation. I was sent on the missions where people were expected to disappear. I always did my best to make it happen quietly, but sometimes there was collateral damage. Kael wouldn’t have chosen me to claim a Human, but Rhydek had requested I be allowed.

The problem was, Humans feared what they didn't understand. They wanted to pretend like they knew us, trusted us, but it wasn’t true, and I was different even than the rest of the Morrak. It was why the space around me remained clear, while Kael and Nyrel were treated like prize beasts on show.

And why the females sent to tempt me approached with practiced smiles and left looking unsettled.

I preferred it that way. Fear was honest. Impossible to fake, and difficult to hide.

But when the female in purple glanced at me, she didn’t seem afraid. She was uncomfortable, nervous even, but there was no fear.

And it wasn’t only me.

Her actions showed she felt as out of place as I. She held no common ground with the others at the gala, but I couldn’t place why she was an outsider amongst her own species.

That made her more interesting than she had already been.

She accepted a glass from a passing server and slipped through the crowd again, somehow avoiding every path that would have brought her within my reach. I was trained enough in evasiveness to wonder if it was deliberate, but even if it hadn’t been, it was effective all the same. Annoyingly so.

I watched her take a seat beside a display near the windows and pretend to study the information projected on it. The act would have been more convincing if her head had moved as the display changed, but her gaze remained on a single point.

My tail twitched as my eyes narrowed, and I slipped behind a group of Humans moving in her direction. She wasn't looking at the display, she was listening, and since she was conveniently near Kethral Nyrel, it wasn’t too hard to guess what she was trying to overhear.

The group I followed slowed, blocking my path to her, and she drifted away again before I could untangle myself from the resulting encounter. It was amusing to tease the Humans, but being continually distracted from my goal was growing tiresome.

Finding a hidden corner to observe from, I looked for the female again. My height gave me the advantage of being able to look over the heads of most of those attending, but hers helped her hide since she was shorter than most.

I finally found her drifting again, a distant look on her face. She didn’t linger anywhere or attempt to join the discussion, only pausing for a few moments at a time before moving on.

Like a scout.

Or a spy.

My muscles tightened as my focus narrowed. The thought should have been concerning, but instead, it made me want to know more. Her file had mentioned she was a soldier, something to do with trade analysis, but would the Humans share if one of the candidates was something more?

A ripple of movement drew my attention, and I spotted Councilor Richter striding toward her with the purposeful air of someone with an obligation. The moment he spoke she stiffened like a child caught where they weren’t supposed to be, and when his hand closed around her wrist, a growl stirred in my chest.

The space around me brightened, revealing the way my kethra glowed. The reaction surprised me since my control was tighter than anyone I’d encountered. It had to be when my life depended on not giving away my position in the dark.

Richter’s grip wasn't harsh, he simply pulled her arm through his to link them, yet every instinct I possessed disliked seeing another male place his hands on her.

My gaze followed them as he led her through the crowd and I turned over what the reaction might mean. Despite her clear reluctance, the female complied without protest as he pulled her over to a group of other councilors.

No argument.

No visible resentment.

She simply matched his pace and allowed herself to be guided wherever he wished, appropriately obedient to the dominant male.

It was a useful trait. One many omegas possessed.

Many Humans seemed to mistake stubbornness for strength. They challenged authority simply because it existed, creating unnecessary conflict where cooperation would have served them better. Poise was a rare attribute, usually found only in more mature individuals with the experience to have learned the lesson.

But Elaina Voss either knew the value of restraint, or she was adept at hiding.

She smiled when introduced to various officials, listened with apparent attentiveness, and laughed politely when expected. Her performance was nearly flawless. If I hadn’t been watching her as closely, I might have believed she was enjoying herself.

But I saw the tension in her shoulders. The way her gaze drifted toward the exits.

She wanted to leave.

She wasn’t afraid, but she disliked the attention, yet she endured it anyway because the male at her side had decided she must. Humans spoke often of personal freedom, but the females chosen for these galas rarely demonstrated much understanding of the sacrifice it took to earn it.

This one did.

Richter moved her from group to group, presenting her like a prized possession. Each time another male's attention lingered too long on the swell of her breasts or the curve of her hips, irritation coiled tighter beneath my skin.

The feeling made little sense. I knew exactly why the Human males were looking since I had as well. I wasn't blind. The dress showcased her assets with remarkable efficiency. The purple fabric clung to generous curves that would be considered highly desirable by Morraki standards. Softness indicated health and fertility in omegas, the ability to endure pregnancy, and it stirred the desire to breed her.

That thought earned a low growl, and my tail lashed once before I forced it still. The possessive impulse hit with enough force that I nearly laughed at myself. Having an omega to slake my needs was the bonus I would receive for completing this mission, but the idea of breeding had never crossed my mind before.

Yet every moment she spent smiling at other males sharpened my growing irritation.

A councilor said something that caused her to give what seemed like a genuine laugh, and my jaw tightened. Another touched her arm, and I had to smother the pulse of my kethra.

When an older Human male stepped closer than necessary and brushed the side of her breast while pretending to touch her arm, I started moving before I consciously decided to. The crowd between us parted instinctively, for once not preventing me from reaching my goal, but the male escorting her began pulling her towards the exit before I reached them.

Thwarted again.

I stopped where she’d been standing, following her with my eyes as I sucked in a deep breath. The scent of something dark and sweet filled my lungs, laced with something green and herby. My amusement returned as I realized how well it complimented mine.

Shaevrin worked, even here.

Elaina wanted to be invisible. I could see it in the way she moved. She assumed no one noticed her, but she was wrong. I had, and the more I observed her, the more interesting she became. She wasn't like the others. She watched, listened, but kept herself apart.

It was a trait I appreciated.

I drew in her fading scent once more. Dark fruit and sharp greenery. A subtle hint of sweat and nerves. It was all weak, but it would grow richer as an omega.

Across the room, the female walked to the exit, unaware her fate had been decided. She was obedient, poised, and tempting enough to be my reward.

The decision settled into place, anticipation beginning to stir. She would be informed in the morning, and then my hands would be the only ones allowed on her. She’d be given the serum to become an omega, and then I could use her to lure out the rebels before claiming her as mine.

Chapter Four

Elaina

I was still angry.

The realization came as I shoved my glasses up my nose and glared at the reflection staring back from the bathroom mirror. Usually a night's sleep dulled whatever irritation I carried prior to bed, but every time I thought about the past few days, a fresh wave of frustration rolled through me.

At my uncle.

At the aliens.

At the entire absurd situation that had been nothing more than a waste of my time.

I'd spent hours being paraded around like a prize animal while strangers discussed things I had no interest in. Every smile I'd forced had grown stiffer until I worried my face had frozen.

And the worst part was that none of them seemed to find anything unusual about me being dragged around by my uncle while not participating in the conversations. I was a decoration. Proof that my uncle had done his duty and submitted the DNA of someone related, who happened to meet the requirements to be used as leverage.

I wasn’t a fool. It had been clear that was what the entire Morraki-Human pairing was meant to be.

I brushed my teeth harder than necessary before yanking the brush through my hair hard enough to make my scalp sting as I ripped strands free.

At least it was over. I had attended the gala, humored my uncle, and now I could go back to work and pretend the entire experience had never happened.

The thought eased some of the tension coiled around my chest. Translating made sense. Languages followed rules, and discrepancies were clues that led to discoveries.

Massive alien warriors selecting Human wives at political networking events disguised as galas absolutely did not.

By the time I headed to my car, I'd almost convinced myself the previous evening had been nothing more than an irritating interruption I could forget, along with my connection to Councilor Hans Richter.

I stepped into the office and moved to pour the tar they called coffee into my cup to prepare for the work I needed to catch up on just as the Major walked through his door and drowned out the quiet murmurs of morning greetings.

“Progress reviews. Conference room. Oh-seven hundred.”

A collective groan moved through the analysts as I glanced at the clock. I had six minutes to make my cup and get to the table, but while mutters of complaint followed the Major from the room, my mood improved. Progress reviews were normal routine.

Familiar.

Exactly what I needed to get past the disruption of the previous night.

The conference room filled as we took seats around the long table before the Major worked through assignments one by one. Reports on suspicious communications, translations of suspected intelligence from other countries, were just a normal part of what we did.

I gave my update when called upon, ignoring his frown over it being incomplete, and returned to reviewing the newest packet he'd assigned me. The discussion was moving toward someone else's project when a faint mechanical hum interrupted the room.

Everyone looked up at the silver courier drone hovering outside the glass door. Drones meant something important had to be delivered quickly, without the chance of being blocked or delivered to the wrong person.

My stomach tightened, my heart starting to flutter. We all wanted to be the one to crack something important, and while I was usually someone the major overlooked unless reminded, I seemed to be on his bad side due to my uncle’s interference.

The Major opened the door, but the drone passed by him. Instead of delivering its message to the highest ranked person in the room, it headed straight for me.

The quiet buzz of excitement around me faded into confused silence as the drone hovered in front of my face. A white envelope slid from its compartment, Elaina Voss printed across the front large enough for those around me to read.

Nobody spoke as I reached for the paper, and heat flooded my face. The envelope felt heavier than it should have, the thick paper not something that would have been used for a simple assignment or delivery of information.

My breath caught, and a chill worked down my spine as I pulled out the card stuffed inside.

Elaina Voss,

You have been selected by Torvashek Drazien Korval. You are hereby ordered to report to the North American Alliance Building at 1400 hours for Omega Serum administration.

Further instructions will be provided upon arrival.

For a moment I couldn't breathe. The words blurred, and my pulse roared in my ears, drowning out everything else.

I stared at the card, shaking my head. It couldn’t be right. I hadn’t spoken to any of the Morraki last night, so he couldn’t have chosen me. There had been nine other women there. Important women. Women attached to powerful figures who actually belonged in those circles.

Not me.

The Major’s voice broke through the shock and my eyes snapped up.

“Care to share?”

His irritation was clear in his voice, and I was still so stunned that I answered without thinking.

“I was chosen.”

Confusion passed over his face before he made the connection. His expression smoothed into cold indifference once more, and he reached across the table to take the packet he’d given me moments before the drone interrupted.

“Sir.”

The word was half strangled as I tried to snatch the paperwork back, but I couldn’t reach without leaning over the person next to me.

“I—”

The Major held up a hand, cutting off the protest trying to form on my tongue.

“Congratulations on your upcoming… bonding. I’m sure you have packing and things to take care of. You’re dismissed.”

I shivered as he looked down at his datapad, trying to process what he’d said. He clearly knew enough to use the proper term for the Morraki equivalent to marriage, which meant he should have known the part that had made it safe to attend.

I had the right to refuse.

“Lieutenant Harris, you'll take over the remaining linguistic analysis on Project Orion. Donaldson, you’ll take this.”

He passed the packet he’d taken from me to the next person down the table as I blinked.

“Wait.”

He ignored me, continuing to tap on his tablet.

“Harris, you will also assume responsibility for the trade decryption package.”

My chair scraped against the floor as I stood, panic flooding my veins.

“Sir, those projects are mine.”

Cold eyes lifted to stare at me with the same emotion as if he were staring at the wall.

“Were yours.”

The correction hit hard enough to steal the air from my lungs, and the room seemed to tilt as I gasped the only word I could manage.

“Were?”

A flicker of something moved over his face before the blank façade solidified again.

“As of tomorrow, if the injection works, you’ll no longer be on Earth. You’ll be tied to the Morrak, and no longer have the clearance to work here, even if you remain.”

He paused but my brain was still scrambling to catch up.

“Which is why, you are dismissed.”

He delivered the last statement slowly, emphasizing each word. It wasn’t a suggestion, it was an order to leave, and my fingers tightened around the card still clutched in my hand.

“I plan to refuse the selection.”

His expression didn’t change, just a tiny huff and the slight shake of his head showed his disbelief.

“Do what you must, but your clearance is still revoked.”

The anger that had simmered since the gala surged, burning the back of my throat. I clenched my jaw to keep more words from spilling that would only cause additional harm, my body trembling as I fought to remain professional.

It wasn’t fair. Nobody had asked me if I wanted this.

Not my uncle.

Not my command chain.

Not the Morraki who had supposedly chosen me.

Nobody had asked if I was willing or wanted any of this, and yet my life was being yanked away.

“I have a contract. You can’t just kick me out.”

The silence in the room was deafening, the others watching as if we were the most interesting spectacle they had ever seen. I’d have been embarrassed if I wasn’t on the verge of losing everything.

I watched the Major's eyebrows raise as he straightened. I wasn’t one to challenge authority, I’d never made waves, but I couldn’t just bow my head and walk away.

“I can, but it doesn’t matter, because it came from above me. It’s already been processed.”

His tone remained calm as he flipped his datapad and showed me his screen. Where my clearance was listed, it said None, and where my contract term dates should have been, it was blank.

I’d already been erased.

I had to swallow twice to get the lump out of my throat to whisper one last protest.

“I haven't agreed.”

The Major stared for a long moment before he sighed, breaking eye contact and looking down at his tablet as he delivered the worst blow of all.

“That doesn’t matter.”

The bluntness stole the rest of the air in the room. Not because I agreed, but because I knew he believed it. The decision had already been made, and my protests didn’t matter. This was bigger than me, and even if the paperwork said I had a choice, I didn’t.

My hands shook as anger and humiliation fought inside me. The conversation was over, and I had no choice but to leave or further humiliate myself.

I left the room and walked to my desk in a daze. Nobody followed me or said anything as I passed. Most avoided eye contact, but I didn’t blame them.

I stared at the desk where I’d spent most of the past few years. I had sat in that chair more than I’d sat on my own couch, and yet there was nothing to show I’d been there. Nothing that would change once I was gone.

I gathered my jacket and keys and left the building. The ride home passed in a blur, and I stepped into my apartment with my mind still blank. Still frozen over the fact that my life had changed with nothing more than a slip of paper.

Looking down at it, I smoothed the crumpled side where I’d clenched it in my fist. There was a shuttle schedule at the bottom to get me to the North American Alliance building, and there wasn’t much time before I needed to be at the platform, but for a moment I wondered what would happen if I simply didn’t go.

Would they move on and choose another?

“No.”

The hysterical giggle that escaped with the single word sounded pathetic in the empty apartment, but I knew better. I’d likely be arrested, and since the summons were from the UEC, I doubted I’d be able to claim I had simply missed my flight.

Sucking in a shuddering breath, I grabbed my phone. There was only one thing left to try, as much as I hated the thought.

Uncle Hans answered on the third ring.

“Elaina.”

His calm voice nearly broke something inside me, and I had to cough to clear my throat before I could speak.

“I was chosen.”

There was a pause where all I could hear was the echo of my harsh breathing.

“You were.”

It wasn’t a question. He’d already known.

“They canceled my contract.”

Silence followed my statement, and my throat tightened until it felt as if I were being strangled.

“I don't want this.”

I hissed the words, fighting back the sobs threatening to break free. I refused to allow myself to crumble.

“I know.”

Hope flared, brief and fragile, but he destroyed it with his next breath.

“But you’ll come to accept it.”

The words landed like a physical blow, and I flinched, almost dropping my phone.

“What do you mean?”

I could almost see the way he’d look at me as if I were a child asking a question he found pointless.

“You were selected, Elaina.”

My fingers curled, nails biting into the palm of my free hand as my phone creaked against my ear. My jaw clenched so tight my teeth protested, and it was all I could do to push the words out.

“I’m going to refuse.”

There was no pause this time before he responded.

“No, you won’t.”

The certainty in his voice sent a fission of fear through me, but I still let out a harsh laugh.

“Why not? Why would I accept this?”

I heard the sigh he let out and pictured him rubbing his brow. Or perhaps he was glaring at the wall, trying to remind himself that others might hear whatever he said.

“Because the alliance requires cooperation. The future of humanity hangs in the balance.”

I closed my eyes as anger and bitterness swirled within me. I wanted to say I didn’t care, but it wasn’t true. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if my refusal caused a problem with the alliance and led to more people starving than already did each day.

“There has to be another.”

“Elaina—”

I cut him off with a sharp, “No.”

I laughed again. The sound bordered on hysterical, but it didn’t matter. I had every reason to be hysterical.

“No one has asked me if I wanted to do any of this. I was following orders, and now you expect me just to keep going along with it.”

His sigh crackled through the speaker.

“I didn’t expect you to be chosen, but since you were, you must go. Look at it as an assignment. You get to go to their world, learn their language and culture from the inside, in a way you never could from here.”

I must go.

Not should.

Not a request.

Another order.

“I want to stay. I need your help.”

Tears made my vision waver as the single, tiny shred of hope I had stretched in the silence that followed my request.

“I can't.”

The snap of that shred didn’t release the sobs like I’d expected. Instead, my mind cleared. The bead of liquid that streaked my cheek when I blinked was the only one, everything inside me going cold.

Of course he couldn't help me. Or wouldn't. The distinction hardly mattered anymore.

“Goodbye, Councilor.”

I disconnected the call without waiting for his response. My legs folded and I sank onto the edge of the couch, phone still clutched in my hand. For several minutes I didn't move, and then the phone rang again.

A Base number.

I nearly ignored it but was too wired to obey a summons to let it go to voicemail.

“Hello?”

“Lieutenant Voss? I’m calling to confirm your move-out inspection.”

My stomach rolled at the cheerful voice that delivered another blow. I hadn’t even received the injection yet, and they were already pushing me out of my home as if everything was set in stone.

“Hello?”

I cleared my throat, rebuilding the walls that had begun to crumble.

“Yes, I’m here.”

There was a hesitation before she continued.

“We have you down for tomorrow morning. Oh, eight-thirty.”

Tomorrow. I’d be kicked out of my home in less than twenty-hour hours, whether I went along with what they all expected of me or not. Even if I refused the injection, or it failed to work like the information had mentioned was possible, I had lost my career and my place to live.

My life was being dismantled around me.

I heard myself agreeing with the woman and thanking her before the call disconnected. I looked around the room I sat in, my mind blank even though my stomach still twisted.

There was so much to do.

I didn’t own much, but I couldn’t find the point in packing even the few things I had. I no longer needed the uniforms that filled my closet, or the workout clothing in my drawers. I wouldn’t be able to stream the gameshows I watched to put myself to sleep each night, so I didn’t need my TV. It was unlikely they wanted to ship my furniture across the galaxy, and with the size of the Morrak, it wouldn’t fit whoever had chosen me anyway.

Looking down at the card in my hand, I read the name again.

Torvashek Drazien Korval.

I knew the first word was a title, even if I didn’t know the exact translation, and then their names followed the same conventions as many parts of Earth, with the family name last, and the individual’s name first.

Drazien.

He had to be the dark one from the gala. He’d been the only one without a Human at his side.

But why had he chosen me?

My eyes moved around the room again before landing on my tablet. If this was happening... If there was no stopping it...

Perhaps I could do as my uncle had suggested. I could look at it as an opportunity to learn the Morraki language and culture from the inside, but I needed more information.

I opened everything I had on the Morrak. It wasn’t as much as I would have had access to at the office I’d worked in, but there were snippets here and there. Rudimentary language studies I’d already read, and what claimed to be cultural reports that were more like guesses. Military assessments delivered by Councilors convincing the people of Earth we needed the Morrak’s help.

An hour passed as I searched out every scrap I could, and what I was left with was pitiful. We’d allied ourselves with a species we knew very little about if what had been shared with the public was everything. We were trusting them to protect us, when what we did know showed a long history of war.

At some point my panic dulled and curiosity kicked in. I’d dreamed of being the person who discovered a new language or species, even if I’d tucked those dreams away as improbable.

I pushed my glasses up my nose as I stared at the wall. I had no interest in being anyone’s wife or mate, but I had to admit that part of me was excited by the prospect of going to Morrakan. The Morrak weren’t new, but they might as well have been based on the amount of information I could find about them.

If I was going to make it to the injection appointment I had to hurry to the shuttle, but I still hesitated. I’d read through the information they’d given me prior to the gala again, and I knew what agreeing to it meant.

The change was permanent. I wouldn’t be compatible with a Human if my body accepted the serum.

Bonding was supposed to be permanent as well, but that wouldn’t happen immediately. It could be a couple weeks before I went through what they called heat.

How much could I learn in just two weeks if I was exposed to it continually?

I might not have volunteered for the opportunity, but it was one I had a hard time saying no to. While I wouldn’t be the first Human to go to Morrakan, I would be the first trained to observe and gather information. Even though the trip there would lessen the amount of time I had on the planet before my heat came, I’d still be able to study the language during that time.

And then, before Drazien could bond me, I could say I had changed my mind. Their government would have to listen since it would look bad if I reported I’d been bonded against my will. They wouldn’t want a diplomatic incident between our people that might threaten the alliance.

Right?

Treat it like a mission.

Play along, learn what I could, and then come home and trade the information to get my place back.

I could do that.

I wasn't trapped.

Not yet.

Everything would be fine.

Chapter Five

Drazien

I entered the little white room at the appointed time, expecting my new omega to be there. Finding it empty had the smirk that had been on my lips turning into a frown, and I tightened the muscles at the base of my spine to keep my tail from lashing.

There had to be a reasonable explanation. Serenya had reminded me that the candidates had the right to refuse, but I’d chosen Elaina for her compliance. Her discomfort at the gala had been obvious, and yet she’d done as was expected of her, so I doubted she would have rejected the selection.

Still, the blinding room was empty. I didn’t understand why Humans thought making everything white meant a room was clean, when all it did was cause the occupants discomfort.

Crossing to the door on the opposite side, I glanced through to be sure Elaina wasn’t already inside. Arriving early was more acceptable, but the woman inside the room was not Elaina.

“Oh, hello. You must be…”

She reached for her datapad to check my name, but I filled it in before she found it.

“Drazien.”

“Yes. Is Elaina with you?”

The fact that she knew the female’s name without looking made my brow rise, but it was understandable. She was the patient, after all. I was only there to observe and confirm she received the injection, so I didn’t have to choose another.

“No.”

Her lips twitched as if she wanted to frown as she glanced towards the time displayed on the wall, but she pulled her smile back into place.

“You’re a little early. I’m sure she’ll be here soon.”

My silence seemed to make her uneasy because she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. When the scent of unhappy omega reached me it made my gut clench, and I backed out of the doorway to escape it.

Turning my attention to the entrance, I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall. Pacing was a waste of energy, and sitting was pointless when Elaina should have been there already. Plus, the tiny plastic chairs looked uncomfortable, and I wasn’t sure they would hold my weight. Human furniture was small and untrustworthy.

My frown remained as the chill of the room seeped into old wounds, making them ache, but I refused to move.

Humans had strange ideas about punctuality. Most claimed to value it while routinely arriving late for things they considered unimportant.

The possibility that Elaina considered the injection appointment unimportant annoyed me far more than it should have, and a growl built in my chest before I smothered it. I hadn’t earned my reputation by being impatient or failing to control my reactions, but as time passed, something suspiciously similar to irritation began to build beneath my skin.

The door finally slid open and Elaina stepped inside, looking unbothered by the fact that she was late. She wore a mottled military uniform instead of the elaborate dress from the gala, although her thick curls were still secured in a braid and glasses still perched on the bridge of her nose, and while the purple dress had showcased her body, the uniform revealed something far more interesting.

Dedication.

The fabric stretched across generous curves she couldn't hide, but the sharp lines of the uniform transformed her from a purely sexual object into something more useful.

A warrior.

Her gaze found mine and I let my lips spread, dragging air in over my tongue to taste the flavor of her in the air. Her scent was still weak, still Human, and I could only imagine what it would be like once it deepened with the pheromones of an omega.

Her expression tightened, multicolored eyes flashing behind thick lenses before she dropped her gaze.

It wasn’t surprise or excitement that I’d seen. It wasn’t even nervous tension. It had looked more like accusation.

The realization made my grin widen. She was late, yet my korravalryn was angry with me.

I chuckled under my breath as she crossed the room. I was glad to see she possessed some spirit, even if a passive, malleable female would have been easier. Omegas were naturally submissive, but one that might hiss a little held more appeal than silent obedience.

“Elaina? I’m glad you made it.”

The doctor’s voice stole Elaina’s focus, and for a moment my fingers tightened, claws pricking my arms. I’d wanted to see if she explained her tardiness, but they both acted as if she were right on time.

“You can take a seat out here so I can explain everything to you, or you can go ahead and come in if you think you’re ready?”

Dr. Keene waited in the doorway to the little medical room, and while I noticed Elaina’s hesitation, it only lasted for a blink before she dipped her chin.

Elaina passed me without acknowledgment, the alpha part of me stirring. There was no fear in her scent, although there was a faint edge of distress. It made my stomach tighten again, but I still moved to stand in the doorway as Elaina settled in the exam chair while the doctor bustled around moving supplies.

“As outlined in the information packet you received prior to the gala, the omega serum modifies the reproductive portion of your genetic structure to make you compatible with the Morrak.”

Elaina sat with her back straight, hands folded in her lap. Her eyes were locked on Dr. Keene as she dipped her chin again in understanding.

“The injection only takes a moment, and the changes begin immediately. Most of the women who’ve gone through the process report feeling effects by the time they return home, and by tomorrow we will be able to check your blood to see if the serum worked.”

Another tiny nod. I was beginning to think Elaina wasn’t capable of speech, and while it might make life simpler, part of me was disappointed by the thought that I’d never hear her scream in pleasure.

“The symptoms are similar to having the flu. Fever, nausea, cramps, and body aches. They will grow worse over the first three days, but typically fade in less than a week. There will still be changes taking place inside you and you may experience new sensations, such as sensitivity to certain scents or fabrics, but your heat shouldn’t begin for approximately two weeks from the administration of the serum.”

Dr. Keene paused to make sure Elaina didn’t have any questions, but my future omega remained silent. Most Humans were easy to read, but her face revealed little of what could be going on behind those tight lips, and a hint of frustration began to build.

“You can take over-the-counter medications to control any discomfort and fever, and a kethral is the Morraki version of a doctor. The Qy’shaeuhl, Sead, is also on Morrakan if you have any concerns.”

The doctor paused and drew in a breath, just as focused on Elaina as my future mate was on her.

“I’ve been through the process myself, so I have first-hand experience with all of it. Do you have any questions?”

Elaina’s brows rose a fraction, and a spark of satisfaction lit in my chest. She hadn’t realized the doctor was no longer Human, but when Dr. Keene pulled back the sleeve of her lab coat to reveal her kethra, there was no question.

“Will I get markings like that? I noticed Serenya had them as well.”

Elaina’s voice was controlled, making her sound disinterested, but I saw the curiosity in her gaze as she studied the glowing branches of silver on the doctor’s skin.

“It does seem to be a consistent side effect of the serum. Each woman injected has developed them. They come in various shades and patterns, but once Drazien claims you, they will shift to match his.”

Hazel eyes turned to me, dropping from my face to look for any hint of my kethra. The natural dark color of mine tended to blend with my skin, an advantage I used in the dark tunnels of Morrakan, but I let them flare for a moment, satisfaction curling through me when Elaina’s eyes widened.

“Any other questions?”

Once again the doctor stole Elaina’s attention, but I let the irritation slide away. Soon enough, I would be the center of her focus.

Elaina straightened in the chair, the shift plucking at my instincts. She didn’t want anyone to notice, but the question she was about to ask was her true concern, and I held my breath as I waited for her to reveal it.

“How will I know when I’m about to… to go into heat?”

There was a faint flush along her cheekbones as she said the last few words, and my grin returned. She didn’t have the sweetness in her scent that would give away an aroused omega, but she’d be producing slick soon enough. If she was nervous about the process, it wouldn’t matter once hormones and instinct took over.

“You will feel as if your symptoms have returned. It begins with a fever and cramps, and then an urge to nest.”

Elaina’s eyebrows twitched and the doctor explained one of the most defining features of an omega.

“You’ll crave a comfortable space filled with soft fabrics and scents that make you feel safe. It’s hard to understand until you feel it, but you’ll know what to do.”

There was a crease between her brows that didn’t disappear, but Elaina nodded as if she understood. When no more questions came, the doctor grabbed her datapad and held it out towards Elaina.

“If you don’t have any more questions, and you’re still willing, I need you to sign the consent form, and then we can get you on your way.”

Elaina’s chest expanded, her eyes locked on the datapad, but her hands didn’t move. She had a far-off look, as if she didn’t even see the tablet in front of her, until Dr. Keene spoke again.

“Elaina? Have you changed your mind?”

Elaina’s eyes widened and she snatched the datapad from the doctor’s hands before she swung her gaze to me. She stared at me with such a lost expression it pulled me forward a step before her expression cleared and she looked down at the pad.

“No, everything’s fine.”

The words were toneless, as if they’d been repeated until they lost all meaning, and I tipped my head as I studied her. It was possible her reluctance at the gala hadn’t just been in regards to the Councilor showing her off. She could have been forced to attend, but in the end, it didn’t matter.

If she’d attended the gala and come to receive the injection out of obedience, that meant she would make the perfect bait. I could order her into a position that would make the rebels reveal themselves, and then I could reap my rewards from her willing body.

Grin returning, I watched as she scribbled her name on the screen, my shaft thickening at thoughts of her obeying me in other ways.

It was obvious that she wasn’t happy, but she seemed to understand responsibility and following orders. She was intelligent enough to know when resistance was futile, and submissive enough not to fight the inevitable.

All traits that confirmed choosing her was the right move. I could have used any of the women at the gala as my lure, but she was the one most likely to make the trap a success.

And she was the one I couldn’t take my eyes off of.

Rolling up her sleeve, she watched the doctor prepare her arm and then the injector. She didn’t look away when it was pressed to her arm, and the only sign that the serum had been administered was an involuntary twitch of the muscle in her shoulder.

A sense of victory rolled through me, and tension I hadn’t realized I carried left my muscles. There had been other options, other Humans I could have chosen if Elaina refused, but she still seemed as if she’d be the best option.

“Okay, all done. I’ll see you again tomorrow to verify the serum is doing what it should.”

“And then you’re mine.”

It was the first time I’d spoken to her, and her eyes flashed behind her glasses as she gave me the glare from before. I grinned at her, my kethra brightening for a moment before I dragged them back under control.

Life was going to be interesting for a while. Once we returned to Morrakan I’d have rebels to hunt, then once we rooted out that problem, I’d have a little omega to tame.

She unrolled her sleeve and stood when the doctor moved out of the way, refusing to respond. Reaching up, I gripped the frame of the door and leaned against the edge, effectively blocking her escape route, and she had no choice but to stop in front of me.

Eyes trained on the floor, she remained silent. I was tempted to wait, to see how long it would take before she broke and finally spoke to me, but I was eager to learn how she reacted.

I was reaching for her face before either of us realized it, one finger curling under her chin as I used my thumb to pinch it. Many would be surprised by how easy it was to control someone’s head, and therefore their body, by taking control of the jaw.

Her lips were a thin line when I forced her to look up, her eyes narrow behind thick lenses. I was tempted to lift my other hand to stroke her smooth skin, to lean closer to inspect the tiny dots of pigment scattered across her nose and cheeks, but I had a feeling she would have been growling if Humans did such things.

“Careful, little Human. Your thorns are showing.”

She continued to glare for a moment, nostrils flaring as she dragged in a deep breath. The muscles of her jaw flexed, and then her face smoothed, all traces of emotions erased.

When she pulled away I let her go, a hint of disappointment biting into me although she behaved exactly as an omega should.

“I’d like to return home.”

The words were quiet, calm, delivered as if she had minimal interest in the response. It was tempting to remain in her way, but Kael had ordered me to behave, so I straightened and took a step back. My bulk still blocked part of the doorway, forcing her to turn sideways or risk brushing against me, and my grin returned as she contorted to pass me without contact. Her slow exhale was too controlled, revealing her agitation, and my tail flicked as my interest in her grew.

I watched her walk away, not a single glance back spared for me. She kept her head high, not bowed, her steps steady and even until she disappeared through the door, but as much as she wanted to pretend otherwise, I knew she was as focused on me as I was on her.

I gave her enough time to get out of sight down the hall before I followed her out the door. It was easy to follow the traces of her scent lingering in the air, although I didn’t blend in the way I would have at home in the tunnels. Still, I managed to make it outside to watch her climb into a speeder.

I didn’t need to worry about losing her in the air. Her information packet had contained her address, and while Human military bases had protocols and certain protections in place, they hadn’t been built to keep someone like me out. She might have thought she was escaping me for the night, but she was my responsibility now. That started with me keeping watch over her, whether she knew I was there or not.

Chapter Six

Elaina

It was a good thing I had already planned on not getting much sleep, because when dawn came, I’d only managed a couple hours. I’d begun sweating on the shuttle back home, growing more feverish as the evening progressed, with the cramps and aches kicking in before I was finished packing. I only had a single suitcase to bring with me to Morrakan, and the rest of my belongings were going into storage.

As much as my body begged me to remain horizontal, the movers I’d hired to take my things to the storage unit were due to arrive, so I had no choice but to crawl from the bed and get ready. I’d pushed myself to finish packing it all before I crashed, but I still had to let them in to collect the furniture and the few boxes of my belongings.

Staring at the single stack of cardboard squares, my lips pulled down. One was filled with the uniforms I wouldn’t need on Morrakan, two more with dishes and anything I didn’t think would expire, and then there was one more with books and the little odds and ends I’d collected over the years. I was taking my photos of my mother and a few things with me to make it seem as if I intended to stay, but the majority of my life had been reduced to four boxes.

My stomach twisted and I placed a hand over it, begging it to behave. It had already emptied itself of the dinner I’d forced down the night before, and I didn’t want to have to scrub the toilet again before the person from Base Housing showed up to inspect the apartment. It didn’t really matter if I was charged a fine since it wasn’t as if I’d be there to use my last paycheck on anything else, but I didn’t want to leave with a mark against me in case everything worked out the way I hoped.

If things didn’t…

Well, it wouldn’t matter if I was banned, because I’d never see Earth again.

Trying not to linger on the morose thought, I was glad to hear a knock on the door, and I opened it to let two men in to begin loading my things into their truck. I’d walked into the kitchen so I wasn’t in the way and had leaned forward to rest my throbbing head on my arms when a sudden yell and thump had me jerking upright, eyes going wide as I took in the scene in my living room.

Drazien stood beside my couch which was now on its back, pinning down one of the movers, while the other dangled from Drazien’s grip around his neck, face going purple. Drazien’s kethra glowed an electric blue instead of the deep violet they had been the day before, lips peeled back to reveal large canines, and the tip of his tail dug into the mover’s side, just under his ribs. A growl filled the room as if there were an angry wolf standing there instead of an alien who had no right to be in my home, even if it was the last day I could call it that.

“Stop!”

I may not have been in a combat unit, but I was a soldier, and I’d been trained the same as the rest of them. I was across the room before I had the time to stop and think, the heel of my palm coming up to slam into the inside of Drazien’s elbow.

The blow should have made his elbow bend, forcing him to drop the dangling man, but it barely made his arm move as deep blue eyes swung down to meet mine. For a moment he looked as surprised as I before his brows lowered again.

“Why are there males in your meyr’kal?”

I blinked at him, gaping as I took in how big he truly was. He wasn’t the largest of his kind, beside them he looked average, but he had more than just height on regular Humans. His shoulders were half again as wide as the man he held in the air, and he lifted what had to be two hundred pounds of struggling weight with one arm as if it were nothing.

For some reason my belly warmed, and my nipples tightened into peaks, but the man’s struggles were slowing.

“He’s supposed to be here! He’s a mover. Why are you here?”

His chest rose and fell once more before he lowered the man to his feet, the growl reverberating around us fading away. Since he could have just dropped him, I appreciated that he held onto the man until it seemed like he had his balance, but I doubted it mattered much to the man who had just almost passed out.

“What the hell? What the fuck is that?”

What the mover had probably meant as a yell came out a harsh gasp as he stumbled backwards. The one who had been pinned under the couch had managed to push it off and roll to the opposite side of the room, and both stood with their backs to the wall, wide eyes pinned on what they likely thought was a demon.

Stepping between Drazien and the men to try to break their focus on him, I held up my hands. I forced my pounding heart to slow and move out of my throat, but my voice was still a bit high pitched when I spoke.

“I’m sorry. He’s one of the Morrak. He didn’t understand you were here with my permission to move my things.”

I shot a glare over my shoulder when I said with my permission.

Drazien was still standing between everyone and the door, arms and shoulders relaxed as if nothing had happened and he had every right to be there. He was looking down at me, head tilted, kethra back to the barely visible shade of purple that almost blended into his dark skin.

Both men facing him still looked terrified, shaking their heads. I didn’t need them to speak to know what they were going to say.

“No. No way. Tell it to move, cause we’re gone.”

I swallowed back the surge of emotions that rose up, nodding in understanding. I couldn’t blame them, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the MPs showed up once the two were safely in their truck and able to call them.

“I’m so sorry. He really wasn’t going to hurt you.”

I reached behind me with one hand as I spoke, palm connecting with hard muscle beneath the thick fabric of the uniform Drazien wore. I gave him a push that was even less effective than the blow to his arm, and had to push again while hissing, “Move,” under my breath.

He finally got the hint and stepped to the side, clearing the doorway as I kept pushing him towards the kitchen. I would have kept apologizing, but the men were out the door as soon as Drazien was out of arm’s reach, and I let my hand drop as I heaved a sigh, staring after them.

Wasn’t I dealing with enough already? Why did my life suddenly have to become so complicated?

Rubbing my face, I tried to settle my temper before reaching forward to shut the door. There was only one moving company allowed on the post, and from the engine I could hear revving and then fading away, I’d lost any chance of them taking my furniture to the storage unit for me. With the Housing Inspector scheduled to be there in less than two hours, I didn’t even have time to go rent a moving truck and try to load it all myself.

Turning to face the cause of my new problems, I couldn’t help glaring at him. I did the best I could to smother the sparks of anger, but the quirk of his brow and the angle of his lips only set off more.

“Well?”

His brow rose higher, but he didn’t respond.

Sighing, I covered my eyes with one hand and told myself everything would be fine. I could always live off post. It meant a longer drive to and from work, but maybe I could get a roommate to save some money.

When I opened my eyes and looked at Drazien again, he was still watching me as if I was some kind of fascinating insect, but the intense focus in his slit pupils gave the impression that I might be one he wanted to dissect.

“Why are you in my apartment? How did you even get past post security?”

I highly doubted anyone had given him clearance. Even our allies weren’t allowed on the base unless escorted by those able to keep them from seeing the things they didn’t want seen.

Drazien’s head tipped and his lips twitched before he lifted one shoulder in a very Human shrug.

“I was assuring your safety.”

My lips parted, and for a moment my mind went blank. In a way, it was reassuring that he’d burst in, thinking he was saving me from a threat, but he’d assaulted someone and potentially caused a major problem.

Not to mention that I now had an apartment full of furniture that was too large for me to move, and barely more than ninety minutes before it had to be empty and clean for inspection.

With no other option, all I could do was load the four boxes in my car with the suitcase and put my furniture by the dumpster in the hopes that someone else would want it and take it before Housing got irritated and dinged me for dumping it. Eyeing Drazien’s shoulders, I let out another sigh before moving to open the door once more.

“Since you ran off the movers, you’re going to have to help me get this stuff out. I can’t do it alone.”

By the time I turned around Drazien held my couch tucked under one arm, but he was frowning at the doorway. There was no way for him to fit through carrying it that way, but when his attention swung towards my front window, I jumped between him and any thoughts he had of tossing it down to the ground floor.

“No! It needs to make it to the ground in one piece, and the door is the only option.”

His grin showed the tips of his teeth, and a shiver ran down my spine. I wasn’t exactly afraid of Drazien, but something about him unsettled me, and combined with the lack of sleep and general crappy way I was feeling, I didn’t have the ability to examine why my fever seemed to increase the longer he looked at me.

“Don’t worry, rethari. I will get your things to the ground in one piece. Come show me where to place it.”

Unlike the word he’d used earlier, which I knew meant home, I had no idea what the word he called me meant. I was tempted to ask but the way my head pulsed in time with my heartbeat convinced me that language lessons could wait until I didn’t feel as if I was being boiled alive by my own blood.

Drazien didn’t allow me to move anything, even the suitcase carrying my civilian clothing and the things I had planned to take with me. Since I had no choice but to set my furniture out and renting a storage unit for four boxes seemed too much of a waste, all of it was going to have to go with me, and I frowned at the backseat of my car as I realized how hard it was going to be to get it onto a public shuttle and then into the speeder that would take me back to the North American Alliance building.

“What is wrong now?”

All the lugging things up and down the stairs hadn’t bothered Drazien, while I was breathing hard just from standing outside watching him. I didn’t trust him enough to go back inside in case anyone else came out and spotted him, but it felt as if it were midday during the peak of summer instead of early morning in August.

My gaze swung to him, and I was tempted to tell him he was the issue, but I’d decided to play along with this… mission, so I needed things to remain cordial between us at the least.

“I’m just not sure how I’m going to bring all of this with me when I go for the blood test.”

Drazien blinked at me once before moving his hand to one of the things on his belt. I hadn’t had the chance to get a good look at them, but there was a black square with buttons on the front, and he pressed several in rapid succession, then rattled of a string of Morraki too fast for me to catch more than the first few syllables.

There was a pause before another voice replied in his language.

“There. Fixed.”

I waited for him to explain but all he did was cross his arms over his chest and grin. I hated the way my belly flipped every time he smiled, but I fought the urge to frown.

“How?”

Instead of answering right away, he stepped forward and reached out to curl his fingers around my wrist. The heat of his palm made me suck in a sharp breath and try to tug free, but he turned and hauled me towards the stairway to my apartment as if I were a child.

“I have someone coming to get it. They’ll take it straight to the Zeydvorrash.”

My brow furrowed but I let him pull me up the stairs as he spoke. When he tugged me inside the empty apartment and shut the door behind us, I couldn’t help blurting the first question on my mind.

“But what if the injection didn’t work?”

Drazien had released my wrist but kept walking towards the kitchen. Grabbing my water bottle from the counter, he brought it back to me with one brow raised, the look on his face asking if I really thought that was possible.

I tried to swallow but my throat stuck, and I forced away the urge to refuse the water. I needed it, but it was odd for him to provide it before I asked.

“Thank you.”

I managed to keep the words from sounding bitter, but Drazien’s grin grew wider as if he knew exactly how I felt. Hiding my emotions was something I was usually good at, but exhaustion made it hard to focus on keeping my expression clear while trying to be sure I wasn’t forgetting something important.

Before I knew what I had done, I was tipping the bottle back, trying to shake the last drop onto my tongue. It had been almost full when he handed it to me, but I was sweating so much I felt dehydrated.

My eyes moved to the fridge. Before I could take more than a step towards it, Drazien took the bottle from my hand and strode into the kitchen himself. He looked from me to the water dispenser on the front if the fridge, then to the bottle in his hand, and for a second I wondered if he knew how to fill it, but with a quick stoop to see where the spout was, he managed to figure out that he needed to place the bottle there, and the sensor did the rest.

I was still confused by the fact that Drazien had somehow gotten onto a secure post to apparently stalk my apartment, but with the way he’d avoided answering most of my questions, I wasn’t sure asking him about it again would do any good. Instead, I tried to focus on what else I needed to do to uphold my end of the bargain I’d agreed to by accepting the injection.

“How long will it—”

I was cut off by a voice from the box on his belt, Drazien’s frown making him look more intimidating than he already did. He pressed a button on the box and spoke in Morraki to whoever was at the other end, but my brain was too fuzzy with exhaustion and fever to make any of it out.

Leaning back against the wall, I slid down until I sat on the floor and let my eyes drift closed, muttering under my breath.

“I’m never going to learn Morraki if you don’t speak slower.”

“I didn’t realize you wanted to. How much do you already know?”

I startled, jerking my eyes open to find Drazien crouched in front of me. His body blocked most of my view, my water bottle dangling from his fingers.

Fingers tipped with black claws that came to points longer than I had ever let my nails grow.

“How do you get dressed without shredding your clothing?”

The question escaped before I could stop it, but if he could deflect, so could I. I didn’t realize it might not be the best question to ask until his lips spread, and a deep thrumming sound came from his chest as he quirked a brow at me.

“Already thinking about me naked?”

If I hadn’t been feverish already I knew I would have felt heat rush to my cheeks as I gaped at him. I hadn’t until he mentioned it, but suddenly I couldn’t get the image that appeared out of my head.

How far did his kethra extend beneath his shirt?

How much control did he have over his tail?

Was he equipped like a Human?

I cleared my throat and dragged my eyes away from him, fixing my gaze on the window letting in hazy morning light.

“No. I was concerned about the damage your claws could do.”

I forced the words through tight lips, trying to control my breathing and the erratic rhythm my heart had taken up. Drazien’s chuckle tempted me to look at him once more, but I resisted the urge until he pressed a finger along my jaw and forced my head towards him.

“I can be careful, rethari.”

He dragged the tip of his claw along my jawline, lighting up nerves and sending a shiver down my spine, and while the line he’d drawn throbbed even after he pulled his finger away, there was no sting like there would have been if he’d broken the skin.

Swallowing, I was relieved when there was another knock at the door that stole Drazien’s attention. He stood in a controlled motion, but I didn’t miss the coiled tension in his muscles or the deadly focus he placed on the door.

“It’s okay. That should be the inspector from Base Housing. Don’t attack them.”

He barely spared me a glance as I used the wall to push myself upright, but he took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest. I figured that was the best I was going to get, so I dragged in a deep breath and opened the door.

Chapter Seven

Drazien

The so-called inspector spent more time looking at me than the empty rooms she walked through, but the datapad in her hand became fascinating when she caught me watching her. The quick flutter of her heartbeat in her throat was easy to spot, and her increased breathing revealed her nervousness, which only made my amusement grow.

How had Humans become the dominant species on their planet?

They weren’t the first creatures I’d asked the same question about. It seemed most planets with intelligent life were softer than Morrakan, and the species that thrived wasn’t necessarily the best killer.

Pity.

Once the woman stammered to Elaina that everything looked fine, I followed them out. She turned and did something to the door before walking away, but I remained behind Elaina as she stared at the thin sheet of wood that blocked the opening.

Heaving a sigh, she finally turned to face me. Her face was flushed, sweat beading along her brow, and there was a glazed quality to her eyes. It was obvious the serum was working and she was experiencing the side effects, which was why I’d almost laughed when she tried to protest having her things taken straight to the Zeydvorrash.

The reminder of the one hiccup made my lip twitch as I fought back a snarl. I’d requested a shuttle come to her address to collect her things, but Kael had denied it, stating our transports weren’t allowed in the Human’s military airspace.

“What now?”

Elaina blinked at me as if she struggled even to keep her eyes open before looking over her shoulder once more.

“I’m done here. It’s almost time for me to catch my shuttle to New NewYork once my boxes are taken care of.”

Nodding, I reached out and wrapped my fingers around her wrist again. I could feel her bones shifting beneath her flesh, small and delicate, and for a moment I wondered if rutting her were truly possible. She seemed too fragile to survive a heat despite her generous curves.

My shaft twitched at the direction of my thoughts, but I ignored it as I kept myself to her pace. I could have taken the steps three at a time, or simply jumped from the landing, but she was struggling to manage just one in her state.

I pulled her along until we reached her vehicle. Since the shuttle couldn’t come to us, I had to get us to where it could, but the control center was too small for me to use without risking damage to the vehicle.

I looked down at Elaina, finding her turning her head from me to her vehicle as well. She seemed to realize the problem.

“I don’t suppose you can leave the way you came and I can just meet you at the clinic?”

Scoffing, I arched a brow at her assumption that I’d leave her. I didn’t miss her little sigh, but she was already moving forward and tugging open one of the back doors I’d shoved her containers through.

“If you move one of the boxes to the trunk and stack two in the front seat, there should be enough room for you in the back.”

I assessed the vehicle once more, my tail twitching over the small space where the boxes currently sat.

“And where will you be?”

Her brows pinched behind the frame of her glasses as she gave me a look as if I didn’t make any sense.

“Driving.”

Her tone suggested the answer should have been obvious, and I supposed she was right, although I was beginning to suspect she would have chosen not to be in the vehicle at all if that were an option. She still wanted to deny that Shaevrin controlled our path, and hers had joined mine.

“We need to leave your base, and then my shuttle will meet us.”

I started moving the boxes without waiting for her confirmation. She didn’t like which one I tried to put in the storage area, and then insisted a specific one had to be on the bottom of the two I moved to the passenger seat.

Oddly, I found her fussing amusing more than irritating. Everyone knew omegas were particular about the things they’d claimed, so it was no surprise she wanted to control the placement of the containers.

Once we were done wasting time I lowered myself through the opening of the vehicle, having to wedge my legs behind the seat she took while I scrunched down and leaned against the door. My tail was pinned uncomfortably against the rough fabric of the backseat and my back was contorted, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.

Her control of the vehicle, on the other hand, made me question my survival odds. The machine crawled from where it had sat, moving at a cautious pace until she pulled out into the flow of other vehicles, accelerating hard enough that my head jerked back, hitting the window.

Elaina shot a glance over her shoulder, a contrite expression on her face before she focused on the other death machines around us.

“Sorry.”

“I understand your attack on me earlier failed, but there is no need to attempt murder when I’ve been helpful since then.”

The corner of her lips twitched but she kept her head turned away as if she didn’t want me to see her amusement. I wasn’t sure whether I should be concerned that the thought of harming me delighted her.

“You're the one who climbed into a vehicle designed for Humans. If you hadn’t arrived unannounced and without reason, you wouldn’t be wedged in my backseat.”

I grunted as she swung around a corner, forcing me to brace one hand against the seat in front of me. The box that had remained in the back shifted, a corner digging into my thigh, and I bared my teeth while fighting back a snarl.

Every Morraki would mock me if they saw this. Torvashek Drazien Korval, hunter of rebels, deadly tracker, the last warrior many saw before their life ended…

Reduced to being folded into the back of a Human transport while an omega drove him across a military installation like nothing more than a sack of goods.

A sudden deceleration had my growl filling the space as I was slammed forward, crushing my tail beneath me. Elaina’s eyes remained focused on the road as I swallowed the sound and righted myself, her frown telling me she wasn’t purposefully torturing me.

“Sorry. People are stupid.”

The absurdity of the situation should have irritated me, but instead I found myself watching her with curiosity.

Her fever seemed to be worsening. Even from the back seat I could see the flush on her cheeks, and her hair was damp with sweat where it grew from her scalp. There was a slight delay before she reacted to changes around her, revealing her exhaustion, yet she continued.

No complaints. No requests for help. Only stubborn determination.

The scent of her anxiety built inside the enclosed space until I could taste it on the back of my tongue, and every instinct I possessed urged me to remove her from the situation causing it, but there was nothing I could do until we met with the shuttle.

The vehicle finally reached the edge of the military installation, passing through a gate that let everyone out but stopped those trying to enter. Once we were beyond the restricted airspace, I retrieved the communicator from my belt, and the shuttle pilot responded as soon as I requested his location.

“They are waiting at the landing field closest to us.”

Elaina grunted, her focus remaining fixed on the road ahead. Her eyes looked glassy as she stared, expressionless, and for several minutes neither of us spoke.

The silence wasn't uncomfortable, merely strange. Most Humans I’d encountered filled silence with unnecessary noise, yet Elaina seemed perfectly content to leave it alone.

The buildings around us grew closer, towering over her tiny vehicle, but eventually a space opened and the designated landing area came into view.

The moment the vehicle stopped moving I jerked the door open and unfolded from the backseat. My spine popped and I rubbed the spot where the corner had dug into me as relief poured through my veins.

“I’ll walk before doing that again.”

A snort came from behind me, and I turned to look down at the light Human shading her eyes from the morning light. Earth’s Sun was stronger than Vorrashan, emitting a brighter, yellow light that was harsh on the eyes, and her glasses likely made it worse.

The quiet hum of the shuttle’s engines reached us moments later, dust rising into the air as it settled onto one of the landing pads beyond the ground vehicle area. Elaina stared at it as the ramp lowered, but there were no signs of fear.

Two crew members emerged and strode towards us, drawing attention from the other Humans in the area. They hadn’t noticed me, but between the odd ship, our dark skin and larger size, there was no chance of being ignored.

“Vekhar?”

I gestured toward the car once they arrived and they began unloading Elaina’s belongings. She looked between them, then at me.

“What did he ask?”

I pointed a finger at the boxes one was lifting from the front seat of the vehicle.

“For the location of the items he was ordered to retrieve.”

Her brow furrowed as she looked at the warrior striding back to the shuttle.

“It sounded like one word.”

A sigh escaped her. I was beginning to think Humans sighed as often as they breathed.

“It was only one word.”

That clearly wasn't the answer she wanted, because her frown deepened. Before she could continue asking questions though, it seemed a wave of dizziness struck her.

Her hand rose to her temple and she swayed. I closed the distance between us before she could fall, and the moment my hand gripped her elbow, heat flooded into my palm.

She was far too warm compared to the standard temperature of a Human.

“You are overheating.”

Scoffing, she shoved her glasses up and ran a hand across her eyes.

“I noticed.”

The dryness in her voice almost made me laugh, but my concern overrode it. Despite looking moments from collapse, somehow she still found the energy for sarcasm.

One of the crew members returned to grab the odd container from the back of her vehicle before turning to us.

“Torvashek. Den?”

I jerked my chin toward Elaina.

“She is needed prior to leaving.”

His gaze flicked to her, and I found my muscles tensing until he looked away. She might not smell like a proper omega yet, but she was still mine, and I didn’t like the other male giving her any attention.

He stepped aside and gestured toward the shuttle, and I moved my hand to Elaina’s back to urge her forward. She took two steps before stopping, looking between the shuttle and her vehicle.

“I need to get to the shuttle so I can go take the test.”

Raising a brow, I nodded towards where I’d been trying to lead her.

“It’s right there.”

She blinked at me, as if having trouble processing the meaning of my words. Her mouth opened before she looked at the shuttle once more, then she lifted one shoulder and shook her head.

The cabin of our shuttle had to be more comfortable than the Human public transports. It certainly was for me. Larger seats, wider walkways, and no other Humans staring.

Elaina stopped just inside the doorway, looking around with more energy than she’d shown outside. She seemed to be trying to memorize the writing she could see, a hungry expression on her face that had my interest stirring.

She was truly fascinating. She was ready to collapse, and yet she was still trying to read an alien language.

Eventually she muttered something beneath her breath and sank into one of the seats. The shuttle lifted moments later, and Elaina remained stubbornly upright until we had moved over the vast amount of toxic water her planet sported before her eyes drifted shut.

Her head tipped sideways, her breathing evening out into the slow pattern of sleep. Gone was the female who glared at me and didn’t think I noticed her temper. Gone was the quick wit and surprising snark. What remained in her vulnerable state seemed... softer.

It was a dangerous thing to be around predators, but I was there to protect her, although no one was going to be able to protect her from me. I’d wanted an omega for as long as I could remember, but I’d never expected to have one. I wouldn’t take advantage of her during her change while she was ill, but once she was truly an omega…

I wasn’t sure I’d be able to resist her allure.

My gaze lingered. Fever painted her dusky cheeks pink. Dark curls escaped her braid to frame her face. Plump lips twitched, as if wanting to say all the things she held back when conscious.

I spent the remainder of the flight studying her. To be able to use her as bait for the rebels, I needed to know her well enough to predict the way she would react, and her pitiful attack in her home had been a surprise as well as being ineffective.

Most omegas would hide at the first sign of a fight, but there were a select few who chose the warrior way of life. Many did it for the benefits it brought, the honor, but no matter the reason, they could be shockingly fierce when properly trained.

Elaina had already chosen to become a soldier for her people. Perhaps it would be an asset to train her properly.

When we reached New NewYork, I called her name to wake her, but got no response. Her breathing was steady, but a flicker of concern lit inside my chest, and I touched her cheek to check how warm she was.

Her eyes flew open, glassy, but alert. Lips parting, she sucked in a breath before seeming to remember where she was.

Amusement tugged at me and my lips spread as she straightened her glasses.

“We have arrived.”

I stepped back so she could stand but she nearly fell on the first attempt, catching herself with a hand on the wall as she tried to pretend she hadn’t almost toppled headfirst into it.

I swallowed my huff, knowing it would only stir her temper. Acting like I hadn’t noticed, I opened the airlock and stepped out into the humid air that made my nose wrinkle.

There was truly too much water on Earth’s surface. It was a waste. Morrakan had a single ocean, smaller by half than Earth’s smallest, and highly toxic, although it hadn’t become that way due to anything we had done. Our drinkable water was all safely underground, flowing in rivers, contained and protected by the stone around it.

We descended into the building, following the guide who had met us on the rooftop. The medical wing was instantly recognizable, the bare white walls bland eyesores.

Dr. Keene greeted us with a smile at the entrance to the room where Elaina had received the injection.

“Right on time.”

I smiled back even though I knew it had no effect on the doctor. As the first Human to become an omega and mate one of my kind, my differences didn’t bother her.

“Unlike some Humans.”

Elaina shot me a look and I raised a brow, inviting her to contradict the truth. Dr. Keene let out a quiet laugh as she waved us forward, moving deeper into her treatment room.

“Already teasing her?”

It was my turn to laugh as Elaina took a seat in the same chair as the prior day.

“She makes it easy.”

The glare I received for that only amused me more. The muscles in her cheeks bunched, telling me she was clenching her teeth, and it made me wonder what she wanted to say.

Did she hold back out of propriety, or because she wasn’t sure how I’d react to a challenge?

I found myself excited by the prospect of her growing comfortable enough to show some claws. I’d chosen her because of her obedience, but I didn’t mind a bit of bucking before her submission.

The blood test itself was uneventful. She sat still while the doctor pricked the tip of her finger with a small device before taking the sample to a machine across the room. Nyrel entered to study whatever it was that came up on the screen with her, and Elaina watched them with the intensity of a hunter with its prey cornered.

Except she was on the wrong side of that comparison.

I was starting to see a pattern in her behavior. Habits that were hard to turn off once you had learned them. Actions that made me think she was more than the simple linguist and supply analyst her file claimed her to be.

Kael had feared Serenya had been a spy for the Humans, yet it seemed I had been the one to get lucky.

The results of the test didn't take long, and Dr. Keene turned to Elaina with a smile.

“The serum is taking hold.”

My chest lit with relief. I hadn't even realized I was concerned, but Elaina was too good of a fit for me to be forced to try another.

Elaina's shoulders drooped, but it wasn’t relief that flit across her face almost too fast to catch. It was resignation, and for a moment, the realization bothered me.

Did she not appreciate the significance of being another tie between our people?

“The changes are progressing normally, but your fever is a bit high. Make sure you’re taking something for it every four hours, and if it creeps up any higher, go to the kethral on the ship.”

“There is no kethral on the Zeydvorrash, but it is a scout, and we will reach Morrakan quickly.”

Before Elaina could respond, another presence made me turn to the door before a familiar scent reached me. Sweet fruit and something floral, overlaid by pepper and embers.

Kael blocked the doorway, Serenya behind him. Her markings glowed from her tan skin, the matching pattern and color evidence of a completed bond.

“Dr. Keene said you were having the test this afternoon. I hope its good news?”

Serenya smiled from Elaina to the doctor who dipped her chin, confirming that the injection had worked.

“Congratulations! It’ll be good to have more of us on Morrakan.”

Elaina looked uncertain as Serenya leaned down to give her a hug. She likely thought she spoke quiet enough for only the other female to hear, but I didn’t miss her mutter.

“It’s a little early for congratulations. Things might not work out.”

Serenya laughed softly as she pulled back, studying Elaina’s face.

“I suppose that’s true, but we can always hope.”

Some of the tension left Elaina's face as she returned Serenya’s smile. Kael’s mate had become the ambassador to her people for a reason. It was clear her happiness wasn’t faked, and it was good for Elaina to see someone who had survived the process and bonded.

“Is it worth it?”

The question surprised me, but Serenya considered it before nodding.

“Things are different there. I spent a lot of time worrying about what other Humans would think, but Human opinions don’t matter on Morrakan. It turned out a lot better than I’d expected.”

Elaina blinked. Apparently it wasn't the answer she'd expected, but Dr. Keene stepped forward with her own response.

“It might seem like you’re giving up a lot, and I know the bond is hard to believe in before you feel it, but you won’t regret it.”

Serenya smiled again as she returned to Kael’s side, his tail looping around her waist to hold her close. Elaina watched her, watched the way Serenya’s kethra flared as she took Kael’s hand, and the soft look he aimed down at her.

Many warriors believed bonding made an alpha weak, but he’d proven them wrong.

An omega provided something to fight for.

“You don't have to figure everything out today. There’s time.”

Elaina's expression eased at Serenya’s words, and she nodded. There was still hesitance in her eyes, uncertainty when she looked at me, but she was too intelligent to discard alternate possibilities without proof.

My stomach flipped at the thought that she was partially right. I hadn’t chosen her on simple attraction, or because I believed in the bond.

I needed a lure to draw the rebels to me, and she was the best choice. Claiming her was an unavoidable bonus to the plan, but that didn’t mean she’d be getting those soft looks from me.

With the appointment complete, there was no reason to linger on Earth. Kael and Serenya escorted us to the rooftop, but they were continuing on the Zeydrassk to Halcyon while I took Elaina to Morrakan to solve our anti-Human problem.

Elaina sat beside the viewport as we ascended through the atmosphere, watching Earth shrink behind us. She remained quiet, as if deep in thought, and I found myself studying her once more.

For the first time, I wondered if my plan was unfair to her. She was leaving everything behind, not for an alpha she chose and wanted as a mate, but to be used. She would end up claimed either way, but I wasn’t sure I could offer the reassurance and connection omegas naturally sought.

The realization sat in my chest like a stone. I hadn’t even claimed her yet, but something about her distress bothered me.

Below us, Earth shrank. Buildings and cities were lost to nothing more than the difference between land and water, with clouds obscuring even those lines. The distance grew and darkness took over before stars emerged around a shadow beyond the viewport.

The Zeydrassk was massive. The might of the fleet, carrying warriors to defend another planet claimed by Humans. One not yet spoiled, but at risk of annihilation by the Skarashk.

Even after years aboard her, the sight stirred pride within me. The great warship dominated space, armored plating stretched across the vast hull. Weapons lined her flanks, lights glittering against the darkness to warn she was there.

Beside me, Elaina stared, her lips parted as she took in the sight.

“The Zeydrassk is impressive. In other circumstances, we would have boarded her for our trip.”

Elaina swallowed, blinking at the massive ship until it disappeared from view as we turned.

“It’s enormous. We don’t have anything like it.”

A grin spread across my face, and I huffed at the thought of her comparing the Zeydrassk to the pitiful Human spaceships. I still didn’t understand how Humans had made it to space with their primitive vessels, much less across the galaxy to claim other planets.

“That is true.”

The shuttle turned farther and the Zeydvorrash appeared. It seemed tiny next to the dreadnaught, the sleek black metal almost invisible until the lights came on to guide us forward. It was far less impressive, but sometimes speed and stealth were more important than size and might.

The shuttle connected with a gentle bump, and for a moment I let her digest the changes that were coming, then I stood and held out my hand. Elaina looked at it, and then up at me, suspicion lurking in the tightness of her brows despite the fact that she accepted my help.

There was my little thorn.

I almost laughed at how accurately the description fit her. The tiny Human who claimed too much of my attention, digging in more and more.

“Come, rethari. You need more rest, so let me show you our room.”

Chapter Eight

Elaina

I didn’t miss the way he said our room. That little word bothered me more than it should have considering I knew what I’d agreed to, and what it might entail to pretend to be someone’s mate.

I followed him from the shuttle onto the ship, my legs feeling heavier than usual. Each step was delayed, as if there were a barrier between my brain and the rest of my body that slowed the signal, and I couldn’t tell if their ship was unusually warm, or if it was just the fever.

Exhaustion dragged at me, making it hard to focus on my surroundings as I followed Drazien. I didn’t even react to the casual brush of his tail against my thigh, simply staring at it as my thoughts waded through molasses.

The corridor stretched behind me, a reddish glow coming from the base of the walls, but otherwise dim to my eyes. There were markings that had to be Morraki writing and I should have been studying them, making guesses at what they meant, but my vision was blurry and my eyes refused to latch onto any of them.

Frustration simmered in the back of my mind, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I’d always been the type to work through the rare cold I caught, so the complete and utterly drained feeling I struggled against was new. Even after a dose of meds, I was sweating, and my energy had evaporated as if I’d spent the day in the summer sun.

Space grew between us until Drazien slowed and looked back, quirking a brow at me.

“Do you need assistance?”

I couldn’t keep from narrowing my eyes at him and I felt the frown pulling down the corners of my mouth.

“I’m walking fine.”

He huffed, his lips twitching. He seemed to enjoy making fun of me, and while I wanted to be irritated by it, part of me liked it. It was better than being stuck with someone who didn’t seem to know what a joke was, like the Torvakai.

“Barely, but we’re almost there.”

He strode past two more doors before placing his hand on the scanner beside the last one on the right. There was a heavier duty door at the end of the hall that likely led to something other than living quarters, but the markings above the opening seemed to squirm around when I tried to study them.

“Let’s go, rethari, before you fall on your face.”

My scoff sounded more like one of his growls, and I saw his teeth flash as I stomped past him into the room we would share. There were burgundy-colored lights spaced evenly around the base of what I had to assume were the walls of the room, but it was so dark I couldn’t make out more than the impression of shapes scattered around me.

“I can’t see.”

I turned my head towards a sense of motion beside me, and Drazien’s voice drifted from that direction.

“And yet you’re looking at me.”

My frustration swelled towards irritation, and my nails bit into my palms as I fought the urge to actually growl.

“I cannot see well enough to move around without the possibility of tripping over something.”

I managed to keep my voice even and mostly free from the feelings swirling in my chest. There was a moment of silence, and then the lights shifted towards orange, growing bright enough for me to make out the furniture even if I couldn’t see the details.

“Is that better, rethari?”

I looked around the space, trying to decide whether I was relieved that it was similar to a hotel room on Earth, or disappointed. There was a couch along the left wall, although it was larger than what I was used to and I had a suspicion that I’d feel like a child if I tried to sit on it. A low table sat in front of it, with a shelf built into the wall beside it.

Straight ahead was a row of cabinets above a countertop that looked enough like a kitchen to assume that was its purpose. There was a basin in the center of the counter, although I didn’t spot a spigot for what I figured was the sink. Nothing looked like a fridge or stove, but aboard a ship, it wasn’t surprising not to find those. There was probably a mess hall or cafeteria type room where everyone ate.

And to my right, sporting an enormous alien who looked far too pleased with himself, was a bed.

I’d have said it was a large bed, except Drazien made the space available on it seem far too small, and it was hard to swallow as my mouth suddenly went dry. I had accepted what it meant to pretend to be planning on mating him and that it might lead to intimate situations, but I hadn’t expected to jump into bed with him the moment we were aboard his ship.

The dry mouth gave me the perfect excuse to avoid the bed, and I walked forward towards the kitchenette.

“How do I get water?”

The cabinet didn’t swing open when I tugged on the door, and I had to run my fingers over it before I found a button that made it draw back. The inside glowed with a dim red light that showed me several oblong packages, but no cups.

“You tell me you need it.”

I jumped when Drazien’s voice came from beside me before his arm brushed mine as he reached into the cabinet next to the one I’d opened. My heart fluttered in my throat, and I found my hand pressed against it as I struggled to swallow again.

He pulled out a cup and held it over what looked like a sink without a faucet. When he pressed something on the cabinet with his other hand, a spout emerged from the wall, followed by the sound of water filling the cup.

“You don’t have to do everything for me.”

The low light in the room made his blue eyes so dark I couldn’t tell the pupils from the rest. Since the Morrak had black sclera instead of white like a Human’s, it gave him the appearance of solid black eyes, and a shiver ran down my spine as he looked at me.

“I do. Your care is my responsibility now.”

Something in my stomach twisted as I accepted the cup, and I brought the water to my lips to hide my reaction. I wasn’t sure what I’d heard in his voice when he said I was his responsibility, but for some reason, my body liked his statement.

Trying to get away from the subject and my reaction to it, I sipped the water until the tissues of my throat no longer felt like sandpaper before asking him the question that had circled my mind more than once.

“What does rethari mean?”

White canines flashed in the dark, and Drazien shifted. The wall was only a few feet behind me, and with the counter and cabinets beside me, his bulk left only a narrow open space to my right. It wouldn’t take more than a step to the side for him to pin me where I was, but instead of worry flooding through me, my nipples tightened into painful points.

“Do you not like the name? It seemed better than calling you Human, or omega.”

His response made me frown, and I sipped the water again as I transferred my weight to my other foot. I didn’t know how to open the door, plus I was on a ship in space so I couldn’t actually get away, but it was instinct to seek an escape from a threat.

What kind of threat he was, remained to be seen.

“I do have a name. You could just call me that.”

More teeth appeared as his grin spread. He leaned in closer, and I caught the sound of him inhaling, as if he were trying to smell me.

“But where’s the fun in that?”

I opened my mouth to say something sharp but a wave of dizziness hit me. I barely felt Drazien’s grip on my arm as I started to lean, and as much as I wanted to pull away from him, I needed the support.

When my eyes focused again the light in the room seemed to have grown brighter, and Drazien was frowning down at me.

“Do you need more medication?”

The flight up to the Zeydvorrash hadn’t taken that long, so I shook my head.

“She said every four hours.”

He kept frowning at me and I remembered Earth time units were different than Morraki. I’d learned the words they used, but my fuzzy mind took a moment to calculate the difference between it and an Earth hour.

“Slightly less than two shyrn.”

The crease between his brows softened but didn’t disappear.

“You must rest. I will wake you when it is time.”

I didn’t protest when he took the cup from me and pulled me across the room. I didn’t even put up a fight when he pushed me onto the mattress and knelt to remove my boots, then lifted my legs onto the bed as he turned me.

Lying back with a sigh, I told myself I’d take a little nap, then once he woke me for more meds, I’d be able to focus enough to have an actual conversation with him. There needed to be boundaries in place before he started getting any ideas, but every time I tried to line up the words to communicate them, the damn things wiggled away.

Time dissolved into fragments. There were flashes of pain and thirst. Moments of nausea and hunger intertwined until I couldn’t tell them apart. I was sweating one moment, then shivering the next.

Through it all, Drazien’s dark presence lingered. Seated at my side when I needed something, or stretched along my back when I couldn’t seem to get warm.

I had no idea how long I lingered in a half-aware state, where I was too exhausted to move, but sleep refused to do more than brush past me. The hum of the ship was the only constant besides Drazien’s presence, and it became my focus as I tried to cling to anything that would keep me from drifting aimlessly forever.

It was a change in the hum that woke me, startling me awake with a clarity I regretted a moment later when my stomach cramped. I tried to roll from the bed, but a thick arm caught my waist, and something thinner but just as strong was wrapped around my calves.

“Easy, rethari. We’re only decelerating to enter the atmosphere. You’re safe.”

It took longer than it should have for me to process the deep voice that had come from behind me as I heaved for breath when the cramp released my guts. While my mind felt clearer, my body ached as if I’d spent a week doing six extra PT shifts a day.

“Atmosphere? I thought we were going straight to Morrakan?”

I didn’t miss his huff of amusement as he pulled me onto my back. He was lying beside me, the hair between his ridges falling wild to one side as he propped his chin on his free hand. I barely had a moment to register that he was topless and I should probably protest the way he still held me before I was distracted by his next words.

“We did. We’re here.”

My eyes went wide as the realization clicked that I’d lost more than the few hours I’d assumed. The trip to Morrakan took several days, and we were already descending to the surface.

I pressed a hand to my forehead, and for the first time since the injection, it didn’t feel hot or covered in sweat.

“What happened?”

Drazien’s lips lifted on one side along with his brow, and he tipped his head to the side.

“You were ill.”

I couldn’t keep from rolling my eyes as I dropped my arm and stared at him.

“I think I noticed.”

His wide grin showed off the tips of his teeth and my core clenched, making me gasp as I jerked my gaze away.

“It is good you awoke now. You can see Morrakan from above before we land.”

Forgetting my confusing reaction, the prospect stole my attention, and I tried to push myself up, but once again Drazien held me in place.

“Patience, rethari.”

Leaning back, Drazien finally released my waist to reach beside the bed, although his tail still held my legs in place. The dark expanse of his chest stretched, and I couldn’t help the way my eyes traced the valleys between the muscles before following his violet markings. Both disappeared beneath the sheet covering his waist, and for a moment, all I could think about was whether there was anything beneath the thin material besides his flesh.

I didn’t notice until then that I still wore the shirt I’d put on the morning I’d left Earth, but my pants were missing.

My lips parted, but before I could question where they’d gone, Drazien rolled back with something in his hand. The press of a few buttons had the wall behind him dissolving, and my gasp echoed through the room as the image of red sand and burgundy cliffs appeared.

If the wall had truly been gone at the speed we were moving the wind would have been a loud and violent thing that would have ripped everything from the room, but the sight truly made it seem as if there was nothing between me and the desert but Drazien’s body.

I leaned closer to him without thought, one hand settling on his hip so I could lift myself higher to watch the landscape zoom by. From above, Morrakan appeared unoccupied, the utter lack of water making it seem as if were uninhabitable, but the information I’d received before the gala had explained that the Morrak lived primarily underground where a vast network of rivers provided the water essential to most living things.

Bright flashes of color began to appear, and I knew from the same briefing that they were plants. Similar enough to flowers, thick, leathery petals opened during daylight, revealing bright centers meant to attract insects, then closed tight once more at dusk. And while Morrakan’s day was longer than Earth’s, it was due to it being larger, because its rotation was also faster, giving rise to buffeting winds that grew worse after sunset when the plants closed and offered less resistance.

A scent that reminded me of summer, rain on hot pavement with an undertone of charcoal, filled my lungs as I drew in a deep breath, making me realize I was practically pressing myself against Drazien’s naked chest. My heart stumbled as I heard him draw in a deep breath as well, a low rumble vibrating from him so quietly I almost didn’t hear it.

For some reason, the tension bled out of my muscles, my mind going fuzzy as I felt Drazien close even more of the space between us. His nose was so close to my neck I could feel his breath ghosting over my skin, and goosebumps erupted along my arms as my nipples tightened.

My core clenched again, the dampness between my thighs becoming obvious, and that was enough to shake me out of whatever had come over me.

Jerking back, I stared into dark eyes that were close enough I could actually make out his slit pupils amidst the navy blue of his irises. They seemed narrower than usual, and for once he wasn’t smiling, the expression on his face making him look…

Hungry.

My heart stuttered again, lungs catching as I wiggled further away. I struggled against the hold his tail still had around my legs, but it was only a blink before it disappeared like the wall.

“I… uh… Need to get dressed before we land.”

The excuse that popped into my mind for why I pulled away reminded me I still didn’t know where my pants were, or why I wasn’t wearing them.

Backing off the bed, I faced Drazien as I stood, thankful my shirt was long enough to reach the tops of my thighs and keep me from exposing my damp underwear. I looked around for a moment before spotting my pants on the floor at the foot of the bed. I never would have left clothing on the floor, even when sick, so I had a feeling Drazien had taken them off me.

Had he been trying to help because I was feverish, or had it been something less noble?

I kept my eyes on him as I stooped and grabbed them, almost tipping over as I tried to get my foot in the leg. I had to lean against the bed since my balance was still off, but I managed to get them on as Drazien laid in the bed and watched, making my cheeks flush from something other than temperature.

“If you wish to bathe and dress in fresh clothing, I can take you to the River Caverns once we land. There isn’t enough time to do it on the ship. We have to be below the surface before Vorrashan’s light retreats.”

My skin crawled with the need to wash away the dried sweat, but the River Caverns were something else that had been mentioned in the information packet. The Morrak weren’t body shy the way Humans tended to be, and they bathed in public pools the way the Roman’s had in Earth’s past. I didn’t like the idea of exposing myself to anyone, much less Drazien, but I wasn’t going to have a choice.

I tried to remind myself of what Serenya had said about Human opinions not mattering on Morrakan.

Drazien rolled from the bed and rose in one smooth motion, and a hint of jealousy stabbed through my center at how easy he made it look. A quick check revealed that he had indeed been wearing pants beneath the sheet, and I ignored the part of me that was disappointed.

I didn’t want him to realize I wasn’t planning to stay, so I had to play along with what he expected. If I was too reluctant it would make him suspicious. I was excited by the prospect of seeing his planet and leaning more about the Morrak, so I decided to channel that to pretend as if everything was fine.

“That would be nice.”

I wanted to see the River Caverns, I just didn’t want to be seen, and the look in Drazien’s eyes when he flashed a smirk at me while shrugging into his uniform made it seem as if he knew exactly what my hesitance was about.

Ducking my head, I found my boots and put my back to him. I was no stranger to lust, I’d had my share of lovers over the years, but the way my body responded to Drazien was beyond anything I’d experienced before. One of the side effects of the injection that had been mentioned had been an increase in desire, but I was going to have to tell that doctor that their little side note about it wasn’t enough.

This was drastic.

A slight shiver went through the ship, and I looked at the view of outside, but a massive black wall blocked most of the image. I could tell we’d stopped moving, but only a thin strip of desert was visible past whatever we’d landed beside.

“Is that part of Korvashan?”

I hadn’t seen any mention of the city being walled, but it was something that might have been left out.

Drazien didn’t bother to look over his shoulder as he buckled his belt in place.

“It is Veyrdrahl’tharvek. Korvashan is below.”

My jaw hung open as I tried to parse through the tangle of sounds he had uttered. I had a good ear, but he rattled the name off so fast I only caught the first three syllables.

“Veyr… drawl…”

I knew veyr was their word for blood, but I hadn’t understood enough to guess the rest.

“Veyrdrahl. Blood-stone.”

I waited a breath to see if he’d continue, but it seemed whatever he’d said was separate words. With their warrior culture, I wasn’t surprised something was called Bloodstone, but he didn’t give me a chance to ask about the rest.

“Let’s go, rethari.”

Trying not to narrow my eyes at him as he walked across the room, I reminded myself to play nice. Still, it bothered me that I didn’t know what he was calling me.

“Are you going to tell me what rethari means?”

That dangerous grin returned to his lips when I stopped beside him and waited for him to open the door.

“If I do, you’ll glare at me again. Then what will people think?”

My eyes narrowed despite my best effort.

“Ah, yes. Just like that.”

I had to bite my lip, but I wasn’t trying to hold back words I shouldn’t say.

I was trying to hide my smile, because regardless of whether I was willing to give up my career and life for him, I did find his teasing amusing.

“When you learn what rethari means, I’ll remind you that you earned it. Until then, maybe pretend you don’t wish to skin me alive?”

Chapter Nine

Drazien

She thought she didn’t let her amusement show, but I saw it, and my chest warmed as if we were already bonded. I’d been skeptical of the validity of the old tales about bonds, but after seeing Kael and then Rhydek establish theirs with their omegas, I’d craved it the way someone thirsts for water on the surface.

“The winds are strong, and they drive sand before them. You need a thavren to protect your flesh and eyes.”

Elaina frowned as she looked from me to the fabric in my hand before her brows rose and she looked almost excited.

“Oh, it’s like a shemagh.”

It was my turn to frown, the odd word not registering even though I knew as much English as I could learn since we’d first started talking of an alliance with the Humans.

“Shh-ma?”

Her eyes had lost the glassy look of her illness although the skin around them was still dark with fatigue, but they lit up at my attempt to say the Human word.

“We have deserts on Earth too. They’ve actually grown a bit due to our stupidity over the years, but the cultures who developed there use different things to protect them from the sand and sun. A shemagh is a lightweight fabric that some of them wrap around their face.”

She took the thavren from me, shaking it out before folding it and then placing it atop her hair. The way she wrapped it around her head was not the way we did, but it looked as if it would accomplish the same task.

Even though I approved of her knowledge and rudimentary ability, I reached out and gave the fabric a tug, a portion of it falling away to expose her mouth and nose.

“The winds here are stronger than on Earth, especially at night. They’re already picking up, and something this loose will be ripped away. If you wrap it like this instead…”

I pulled the other end free and then rewrapped the thavren so it was secure. It was closer to her face, with a narrower opening for her eyes, and tucked tighter.

“It will be more secure.”

She reached up and touched the fabric but didn’t move anything. With her face hidden I couldn’t see her expression, but she was good at controlling it anyway. Her eyes were what gave her away, and they were still lit.

“You’ll have to show me again, but I think I can tell the difference. I learn better by doing things myself with instruction than by watching.”

A pleasant tingling filled my chest, but I ignored it and took hold of her wrist. Kael had warned me the Humans were unprepared for the wind on the surface, and that she would need guidance to the entrance of Korvashan, even with a thavren to save her from the sand.

The airlock released with a sigh, a hiss filling the cabin as our clothing stirred. Elaina’s already fruity scent had deepened and grown sweeter with her change, and it swirled around me, making my cock stir and my kethra flicker with a hint of my interest.

Elaina stumbled the moment we stepped forward and the wind slammed into us, throwing one hand out to catch herself on the edge of the door. The thavren molded to her face, her eyes narrowed into thin slits despite its protection.

“What the—”

Whatever she’d been about to say was ripped away as a gust came from the opposite side of the ship, knocking her into me. I couldn’t help my amusement as I wrapped my arm and tail around her to hold her there and walked forward. Even with my support she struggled, and I heard her spitting a string of something in English that sounded like profanity.

The wind tugged on my braid as we crossed to the archway that led down into Korvashan, embedding sand deep enough to make my scalp itch. Despite the narrowed openings of my ears and nose, I felt the abrasion of it within the cavities, but it was something warriors trained to handle. There was no stopping in the middle of a fight because your opponent ripped your thavren away, you had to be able to withstand the elements.

We stopped once we were within the shelter of the archway and Elaina looked back at the shuttle resting beside the walls of Veyrdrahl’tharvek. It was large enough to hold the entire crew of the Zeydvorrash and power through the atmosphere of any planet, and yet the walls towered over it like dark cliffs rising in defiance of Vorrashan.

“Why the hell is the wind that strong?”

Looking down at the little Human, I raised a brow. It was amusing to rile her, so I lifted one shoulder and acted as if the dusk winds were what was usual.

“This is merely the wind. The strong winds come at night, or when they drive a veyr’karin.”

She pulled the fabric around her face loose, sand sliding down to pool at her feet. She stared at it for a moment before meeting my eyes again, and for the first time I thought I saw true concern.

“Why is everything called Blood-something? Veyr-drahl. Veyr-karin. I understand you are warriors, but it’s a bit macabre.”

I let out a laugh, surprised she was so astute.

“Because the stones are soaked in blood. The storm leaves nothing but the blood of those caught in it. Everything revolves around the blood thrumming within our veins.”

She stared at me for another moment, her nose scrunched. The expression drew my attention to the little speckles there, and I reached out to brush a fingertip over them before I could stop myself.

“What are these?”

I’d studied them while she slept, determining they weren’t scars, but my people didn’t have anything similar.

Her eyes crossed as she pulled away from my finger and attempted to look at her own nose before she shook her head.

“They’re freckles. Localized overproduction of dark pigment, caused by sun exposure in those genetically predisposed to them.”

Raising her hand, she rubbed the bridge of her nose before freezing, an alarmed look taking over her features. Moving her fingers across her brow, she pressed her hand to the side of her face and looked back towards the shuttle.

“Where are my glasses?”

There was a deep crease between her brows, but her eyes were wide when she looked at me once more. It was the first time I sensed fear from her, and I stepped closer despite there being no physical threat.

“I removed them while you were ill. They will be with my things and will be delivered to my meyr’kal.”

When she didn’t appear soothed by my assurance and rubbed her face again, I took hold of her hand.

“Do you require them?”

Her gaze moved across my face before she blinked, and the worry shifted to confusion.

“I should… but… I can see.”

The concern that had begun to take root in my chest eased, and I released her hand.

“My people do not suffer sight problems the way Humans do. The serum fixed it.”

I turned away but the noise she made had me looking over my shoulder.

“Fixed it? Just like that, one poke and a fever, and then bam, my eyes are perfect?”

The venom in her voice didn’t make sense, and she must have noticed it from my expression. She pulled in a deep breath and closed her eyes before her shoulders relaxed and she seemed to shake off whatever afflicted her.

“Okay. Let’s move on.”

I hesitated before beginning the descent. The other Humans had complained about the stairs in Korvashan, acting surprised there were no lifts, but Korvashan predated the technology we used to move between levels within our ships. It was impractical to carve the stone away to add them when we were able to use the stairs.

Elaina seemed to have no issues with them besides being slow, and her pace decreased further once we reached the High Ledge. I almost urged her to move faster before I spotted Rhydek and his Human omega walking towards us.

“Drazien, Shaevrin meyr’kal.”

Bowing my head in acknowledgment, I watched his mate from the corner of my eye as she moved closer to Elaina.

“Hello! I’m Taryn.”

She held her hand out towards Elaina in the vertical manner Humans used to introduce themselves. It was a habit that would have made sense, if they had used it to test the newcomer’s strength, but the few times I’d shaken their hands, their grip was lax and revolting.

“Elaina Voss.”

Taryn smiled from Elaina to me before stepping back to Rhydek’s side once more. I didn’t miss the way Rhydek subtly relaxed the moment she was out of my reach, and my lips twitched.

His omega was claimed and bonded, and yet he still reacted to her being in the presence of other alphas. It was almost ridiculous.

Until I thought about Elaina stepping forward to touch Rhydek in the Human fashion and I had to swallow back a snarl.

“Welcome to Korvashan. There are a lot of differences here, but as long as you’re open minded, it’s not too hard to adjust. Except to the heat. That…”

Taryn trailed off with a short laugh as she shook her head. She hadn’t been as talkative when I’d met her, but I was also an unknown alpha to her.

I looked at Elaina to see how she was taking meeting one of the other Human omegas. There was a slight smile on her lips, and her muscles were looser than they had been, but she still held herself in a way that said she wasn’t quite comfortable, and her little glances at the space around us showed she was trying to keep an eye on her surroundings.

“The packet warned about the heat. I’ve spent time in the PanAsian Federation and the African Union, so I think I can handle it.”

Rhydek echoed my huff as Taryn grimaced. Elaina’s head turned to each of us, her brows lowering as her lips tipped down in a frown.

“What?”

I was tempted to leave her wondering, but Rhydek took mercy on her.

“Khavren begins in two drazh. The… You would call it a festival. The Festival of Flame lasts an entire talren and celebrates the coming of summer.”

It took a breath for her brows to rise as her eyes grew round.

“Coming? It’s only Spring?”

I laughed and even stony old Rhydek chuckled. Taryn’s nose curled back as if she smelled something bad as she nodded.

“Yeah, and spring is short. We’re barely out of winter, and it wasn’t any cooler when I arrived as far as I could tell.”

A sound behind me had my tail curling around Elaina to draw her closer to my side. Her lips parted on what was probably a question as to why until a troop of soldiers passed behind us, several alphas shooting glances at the two women.

I flashed my teeth at them over her head, warning them to keep their eyes to themselves. Elaina was already taken, even if she didn’t bear my mark yet.

“You also spend a lot of time on the surface with Zharrek. Where is the varku anyway?”

I looked behind the pair, surprised Taryn’s shadow was missing. I hadn’t seen her without the beast since shortly after she recovered from her attack.

“We thought it best not to overwhelm Elaina. We wanted to welcome her, not scare her.”

Elaina’s eyes sparked with interest at Taryn’s remark, but she didn’t have time to ask for an explanation before Taryn moved on.

“You should have Drazien bring you by for a visit sometime. Or his assistant if he has one. It’s good to talk to someone who understands the weirdness of being the new alien.”

Elaina smiled at Taryn, but Rhydek was already steering her away. They disappeared through one of the tunnels with a wave from the Human, and then I turned to lead Elaina to the next set of stairs.

“She spoke as if I needed to have someone with me if I go anywhere. Is that how it works here?”

Elaina’s voice was controlled, carefully neutral, but I knew enough about her species to know she would find issue with being told that omegas almost never went anywhere alone and were usually escorted by at least one alpha. Omegas were precious, but they also tended not to do well when alone, on top of the rebel issue we faced towards Humans.

There was no reason to hide the truth from her, and not knowing would make her more vulnerable than she already was. Even if I planned to make sure she was never at risk, she needed to be aware there was a chance.

“Korvashan can be confusing at first. We do not use signs to mark the tunnels the way Humans do their streets, and you will have to learn to navigate the way we do. Plus, there have been a few incidents aimed at the Humans here on Morrakan, so it is safer to make sure you do not go out without me.”

Instead of arguing or asking more questions, Elaina remained silent as she looked out over the railing that ran along the edge of the stairs to keep anyone from falling into the ravine. With Vorrashan’s light fading, the ravine was already dark, and lights across the gash appeared to float in nothingness, like stars. The bridges spanning the ravine below us were lit with moss growing along the edges, but they appeared to connect to Zeyd instead of another wall of stone.

We came to the landing outside the Cavern Markets, and the noise and light drew her focus, but when I moved to the next set of stairs to keep going, she followed. Dusk and dawn were the busiest part of the day since many chose to rest and escape the heat during the afternoon hours, so there continued to be traffic on the stairs until we passed the next landing where most Morraki lived.

“How deep does it go?”

The question drifted from behind me, quiet enough to ignore if I chose, but the way she’d withdrawn when I had expected a barrage of questions had me wanting to encourage her to speak.

“The tunnels and stairs go down farther than is safe to explore now, but the ravine ends at this level. The River Caverns are below us, and no one goes deeper except the Zha’torin.”

“Zha’torin?”

She was good at repeating Morraki words the way I said them. I’d heard the other Humans attempt it, but they typically failed.

“I think Humans call them priests? Acolytes? You seem to have several words that mean the same thing, so I’m not sure which is correct.”

Her quiet huff echoed in the stairwell that had grown narrower, the stone slick with moisture.

“It all depends on the religion, and you’re not the first to be confused.”

Considering that, I glanced back at her. She had fallen behind and was moving slower, and while I’d reduced my pace, she was struggling to keep up.

“Would you rather go rest? We can bathe later.”

Features pinching, she gave me that scowl that she tried to pretend wasn’t a scowl, and my concern lessened.

“I’m dirty, not broken. I can make it down a few flights of stairs.”

Grin splitting my face, I stopped and crossed my arms over my chest, letting her catch up before breaking the bad news.

“But can you make it back up them?”

Chapter Ten

Elaina

I had to swallow a groan, because no, I couldn’t. Not right away at least.

The realization that the serum had corrected my vision on top of seeing a new planet and meeting another Human-turned-omega had overloaded what I was able to process, leaving me feeling exhausted and wrung out. I hadn’t considered the prospect of having to climb the stairs again to reach Drazien’s home, and the thought weighed on me even more as we kept descending.

By the time Drazien led me through a winding tunnel, my legs felt like someone had replaced my muscles with wet sand. Every step required thought, and I was considering telling him I needed a break until the walls beside us opened out into a space I couldn’t sense the ends of.

My gasp jerked Drazien’s gaze to my face, but I barely noticed him staring at me. For a moment I forgot how tired I was, how disturbed I felt over the changes to my body, and even forgot my secret plan to return to Earth.

The River Caverns had sounded like something that would be large, but what I faced was enormous. The ceiling disappeared into darkness overhead, lost beyond the reach of the glowing flowers and moss growing from the stone. Water flowed along a river that wound through the cavern floor, little pools dotting it’s banks like puddles left after some massive creature had climbed from the inky depths.

Between the glowing plants and the candles flickering in other spaces, the entire cavern shimmered. Mist moved like living shadows, distorting the view but leaving the sense of vastness, as if someone had hollowed out the heart of a mountain.

“How?”

The question escaped before I could stop it or even figure out what I was asking.

How was this buried beneath the desert I’d seen when I arrived?

How did the city above not come crashing down?

How was this so underrated in the information on Morrakan?

Beside me, Drazien chuckled. The male seemed to enjoy startling emotions out of me I’d rather hide, but there was no hiding my reaction to what I was seeing.

“It's beautiful.”

Drazien was silent for a moment before I saw him nodding from the corner of my eye.

“Korvashan hides many treasures. The River Caverns are why the Morrak remained here instead of spreading across the globe the way Humans did. There are other settlements, but none as large and grand as Korvashan.”

I stepped closer to the edge of the trail overlooking the river. There was a sheer drop, no railing to save the unwary the way there was along the edge of the ravine. The water below reflected the light, creating the illusion of a second glowing cavern beneath the surface.

Nothing had prepared me for the beauty of it. The dim lighting and mist made it feel close and intimate, while the openness and reflections within the water reminded you how small you were.

My plan had been to gather information, learn what I could, then leave before it was too late. Nothing was more important than returning home and regaining my life, and yet, staring at the River Caverns, the idea of leaving it behind and never seeing it again felt like a loss.

It was a dangerous feeling, and I pushed it away, turning to face Drazien instead of the view. He studied me for a moment before descending another series of stone steps toward the river itself.

The crowds I’d imagined were missing, although I spotted several Morraki scattered throughout the space. What looked like family groups as well as individuals and couples, and two groups of warriors.

Drazien led me on, following a path that wove through the pools and around natural outcroppings until we reached a place where only a handful of Morraki remained visible. It was near a lazy bend in the river where the water flowed gently, and smooth stone shelves descended into the shallows.

Steam drifted through the air, but there were no walls or curtains here. I had prepared myself for public bathing, but I had hoped it wouldn’t be as open as it clearly was.

My stomach sank but I pushed down the surge of discomfort. If the other women had been able to get past communal bathing, then I could too. At least the thought that I wasn’t the first Human there was reassuring.

I turned to Drazien, spotting him leaning against one of the massive columns that stretched into the darkness above. There were holes carved in the stone, one holding a lit candle while another held what looked like a stack of folded towels.

“Do I just…”

I trailed off as his canines appeared. I was beginning to hate that grin.

Mostly because it looked too good on him.

“Put your clothes in a cubby. The cleanser is in the basket.”

He nodded his head toward the woven bowl floating a distance from the water’s edge as he crossed his arms over his chest. I could feel the grime built up from days of illness and wanted nothing more than to wash it away, but I didn't particularly want an audience.

Drazien seemed entirely unconcerned by my hesitation, as if he was content to lean there for the rest of the night. Being Morraki, nudity supposedly meant nothing to him, but the look in his eyes seemed like more than nothing.

The problem became considerably worse when I realized Drazien wasn't moving. He remained exactly where he was, arms crossed, grin on his face.

Watching me.

Realization dawned, and my stomach sank lower.

“You're not bathing?”

One dark ridge arched over his eye, lips ticking higher on one side.

“Do I smell?”

I sighed, wishing I could excuse smacking that look off his face, but his grin only widened as he pushed off the column and moved closer. His next question was quieter, but sent a shiver down my spine to pool between my hips.

“Or are you eager to see what belongs to you now?”

Heat flooded my face and bloomed in the pit of my stomach, and I turned my back to him, desperate to hide the reaction.

And the worst part?

A tiny, traitorous portion of my brain loved how he said he belonged to me.

Which was ridiculous.

Unfortunately, my body seemed to have developed opinions the rest of me hadn't approved, because the dampness between my legs couldn’t be blamed on the heat.

“You’ve been hit in the head too many times and its clearly damaged your judgment.”

I made the comeback to the river, unable to deliver it facing him, because I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t see the truth written on my face.

“My judgment is excellent.”

I huffed, shaking my head as I let my fingers creep to the edge of my shirt. One way or another, I had to bathe, but I wasn’t quite stubborn enough to wade in with my clothes on.

“Then why are you making insane assumptions?”

It was his turn to chuckle, the dark sound curling into my ears as if it was a physical thing.

“Because watching you become irritated is entertaining.”

I glared over my shoulder, unable to help myself, only to choke on any chance of responding when I found him nude.

Somehow the darkness of his skin made him stand out more in the dimness than if he’d been paler. The stripe of kethra across his throat that extended down to the top of his pants apparently kept going, the twin tails growing closer together as they followed his Adonis Belt all the way to his shaft.

The markings didn’t stop there, but I jerked my gaze away before I could see the extent of them. Drazien stared back, completely unrepentant and unconcerned over my examination.

Finally, I cleared my throat and faced the river again, but I turned as I heard him pass behind me. I waited for the sound of him entering the water, but when I didn’t hear it after several heartbeats, I decided I couldn’t put it off any longer.

Whipping my shirt over my head, I tossed it towards one of the cubbies, barely making it inside. I took a step closer before tugging off my boots, the thud of them hitting the stone somehow satisfying, even if it wasn’t the face I wished they were slamming against.

It was when I was pushing my pants off that I noticed some of the light sparkling at the edges of my vision wasn’t glowing moss or flowers. It was me.

Tiny silver crescents dotted the outsides of my thighs, and once I spotted them, I realized I had them on the back of my arms as well. There were a few faint ones on the inside of my wrists and across my belly, but their pale color made them less noticeable.

My kethra.

My eyes stung for a moment before I blinked the sensation away. I’d forgotten the markings were another side effect of the injection, and while they might make me as alien as the Morrak to other Humans, I found them cute.

Straightening, I glanced over my shoulder to find Drazien standing hip-deep in the river, staring.

“Turn around.”

Fangs flashed and I knew his answer before it reached me.

“I don’t see a reason to.”

Of course he couldn’t play nice and just do what I asked, but I wasn’t above begging.

“Please?”

His eyes narrowed even though his grin remained.

“You are my omega, rethari. There is nothing to worry about.”

The words landed somewhere uncomfortable. Not because they frightened me, but because part of me liked hearing them.

That was infinitely worse.

“I am still a person.”

His brow arched, head tipping to the side as if I was something curious to study.

“I never suggested otherwise.”

I opened my mouth then closed it. The infuriating part was that he genuinely sounded confused, as if he couldn't understand why I was embarrassed. As if public bathing was so normal he couldn't comprehend my hesitation.

Cultural differences. This was what I was here to learn, and I couldn’t if I refused to participate. I couldn’t let my own prejudices inhibit me.

I reached back and unhooked my bra, letting the straps slide down my arms before I pulled the cups away. Hooking my thumbs over my underwear, I pushed them down far enough to let them fall, then snatched them from the ground to stuff in the cubby with my other things.

The process felt like it took longer than the few seconds it actually did. Each movement was stiff and awkward, and removing the last layers made me more aware of Drazien's presence.

Of his gaze.

Of the fact that he wasn't even pretending not to watch.

In a way, that made it easier to turn around. At least he was being honest in his intentions and not trying to hide covert glances.

Drawing a steadying breath, I walked into the water. Warmth surrounded my feet and ankles, moving up my calves as I kept striding forward.

A sigh escaped before I could stop it as relief swept through my aching muscles. The river wasn't hot, just comfortably warm. Warm enough to ease the stiffness and chase away lingering exhaustion.

I sank deeper and closed my eyes. For several precious moments I simply existed, floating in the comfort of something familiar. There were no thoughts of politics, or plans, or the future, only the joy of feeling the dirt and grime wash away in the current.

When I opened my eyes again, Drazien stood nearby. He was still watching, but the expression on his face had changed. A hint of teasing remained, but something else lingered beneath it.

Something almost thoughtful.

For some reason my pulse quickened, and I ducked my head to hide my confusion. Unfortunately, my kethra were pulsing in time with my heartbeat, betraying my state.

It had to be the lingering effects of the serum, and I could only hope it would fade the way the fever had.

Silence stretched between us, but I chose to ignore it. I reached for the floating basket he said contained cleanser and found that it was anchored in place with a powdery substance inside that foamed when I dipped a wet finger into it.

Unbraiding my hair and dunking it, I drew a deep breath and scooped out a handful. I usually used all sorts of products in my hair to keep it from being frizzy, but if this was all they had, I could deal with it for the week or two until I had to leave.

Drazien settled onto a nearby stone outcropping, lounging nude as if he had no reason to cover himself, his grin spreading each time he caught me looking. He was close enough that I remained constantly aware of him, yet far enough away I could pretend he was giving me space. He didn’t look away, but at least there was distance between us.

It made me curious over whether he had done it as a compromise. I was starting to suspect there was more to him than sharp teeth and irritating confidence, but he certainly didn’t seem like the type that worried about personal boundaries.

Which made me wonder how sleeping next to him was going to go. It would be the first time I was conscious of the fact we were sharing a bed, and I wasn't prepared to examine how I felt about it.

Not yet.

So instead, I scrubbed myself and then leaned back against the smooth stone and watched the glowing river flow past. For the first time since receiving the orders to attend the gala, I let myself relax and stop thinking about what came next, and just absorbed the moment. I ignored all the lurking worries and appreciated where I was, taking advantage of a place most Humans weren’t aware existed.

And then I turned to the male behind me whose eyes were still glued to my body as if I were the only thing worth watching.

For a heartbeat I considered what it would be like, to let myself be that.

To let him quench that hunger I saw peeking through his grin.

It would be risky. He thought I was there because I’d agreed to forever. The fine print said I had a choice, but reality had shown me that was less than true. By accepting the injection, he thought I’d accepted him, and I didn’t know how he’d take the news that I still had reservations.

But the way he looked at me made me doubt I’d make it off Morrakan without him getting a lot closer. My skin prickled with awareness every time I caught him staring, the place between my thighs warming as if my fever had simply compressed to that area. Each time I caught his scent it made my mouth water, and the almost purring sound he made caused me to forget the rest of the universe existed, but this was bigger than either of us. I had to remember I’d given myself a purpose, and that was to educate my people on his language and culture in exchange for getting my place back.

I wasn’t sure I could get away with having sex with him for educational purposes, but then again, who said I needed a reason? Humans hooked up all the time, and nothing we had learned of the Morrak made me think they reserved themselves until they mated. They had been clear they only bonded with one person, and that was done while being physically intimate, but nothing said they were chaste until then.

Shoving those thoughts away, I gathered my courage and left the water. I’d aimed for the cubby containing my clothing, a safe distance from Drazien, but he was at my side the moment I left the river, a towel dangling from his claws.

He kept his eyes locked on mine, a slight smirk to his lips, as I froze and swallowed before reaching out to take the cloth. It wasn’t the same material as the towels I was familiar with, but it seemed to wick the water from my skin the moment I wrapped it around me.

“You can use this until we reach our meyr’kal.”

He brought his other hand forward, a second piece of fabric hanging from his fingertips. Narrowing my eyes, I took it from him and found that it was a plain, deep-burgundy colored robe. It wasn’t as soft as the towel, but it would envelop me from shoulders to knees.

Ducking my head, I swung it around me and slipped my arms in, tying it shut at my waist before shimmying the towel out from beneath.

“Thank you.”

The words were quiet, spoken to the floor. I didn’t want Drazien to think I was ungrateful, but part of me was suspicious of the nice gesture.

Especially when he kept standing beside me, not even a towel covering his nakedness.

“Are you satisfied that neither of us stink any longer?”

I had to suppress a groan before meeting his gaze with a glare, but it was a fight to keep a smile off my lips. He was exasperating, and for some reason, it made me more comfortable with him than if he’d been charming.

“Yes.”

“And do you like what you see?”

Heat flooded my cheeks, spreading all the way to the tips of my ears and down to my chest. The space between us brightened with a silver light, and I knew I was glowing like one of the flowers.

“What—”

I couldn’t finish the question. He knew I’d looked at him just as well as I knew he’d looked at me, and I couldn’t pretend otherwise.

“I—”

I was usually good with words, but they failed me, and the grin on his face told me that had been his goal.

Leaning close, his next words had me shivering even as an unexpected growl vibrated through my chest.

“I certainly do.”

For a heartbeat, everything disappeared. The cavern, the candles and glowing flowers, and even the distant murmur from others bathing in the river. The plan to play along to learn what I could, then leave before I was trapped permanently, faded beneath the weight of his stare, the scent of him, and the warmth radiating from his form.

The most dangerous part was that I believed him, and I liked hearing it. Far more than I should have, considering he was a strange male from another species.

Which was why I turned away and stepped around him before I could do something stupid, tossing, “I guess,” over my shoulder as if my core wasn’t throbbing and what the pamphlet had called slick wasn’t running down my thighs.

Chapter Eleven

Drazien

I should have known something was wrong when Elaina liked the Common Level more. The statement had come so casually I almost missed it.

“I liked it better down there.”

I paused and glanced over my shoulder at her. She was a few steps behind, breathing hard from the climb.

“Down where?”

She stopped and raised her eyes to mine. The skin around them had grown darker and appeared almost sunken, as if she were dehydrated, and a frown tugged at my lips.

“The lower levels.”

Her answer made no sense and only deepened my frown.

“Why?”

She gave me the same look I had to be giving her, as if the answer should have been obvious.

“It’s cooler.”

I waited but she didn’t offer anything more. She stared at me as if that single factor was all that mattered.

“It’s damp down there.”

The crease between her brows softened as she nodded.

“Yes.”

There was approval in her tone. Shaking my head, I turned to face her.

“The air is heavy and thick. It never warms enough to burn the moisture away.”

Her brows rose as she gave another slow nod.

“Which makes it cooler. I can live without the humidity being that high, but there has to be a ten-degree difference between each level.”

I still didn’t understand. Humidity was something we avoided. It ruined leather and made weapons rust. It created strange smells and made everything unpleasant.

“Humans are bizarre.”

She barked a laugh. It wasn’t a wholly happy sound, but it spread warmth through my chest that I pretended not to notice.

“From my point of view, the Morrak are the bizarre ones. The heat and sand and wind are all reasons that would have made Humans completely overlook this planet and find a better one.”

My eyes narrowed, muscles growing tense automatically.

“There is no better one.”

She huffed but didn’t make a response. Stepping around me, she continued up the stairs as I watched.

My tail twitched and my kethra flared for a moment before I controlled them once more. She was in a new place, but she would adjust and come to accept the way things were.

I remained behind her for the rest of the climb. It seemed to pass faster than I’d expected, probably because I was entranced by the sway of her hips and debating over whether I could lift the back of the robe without her noticing. I didn’t get a chance to find out before she reached the High Ledge and stopped, waiting on me to lead the way.

She seemed more alert as we moved through the tunnels heading away from the ravine, looking around each time two intersected. We passed the third before she finally spoke up.

“How do you navigate? There are no signs. The moss is the same. I know you can see better in the dark, but every tunnel looks the same.”

My lips twitched. Humans relied so much on one sense that their others had dulled, but after receiving the serum she should have been able to tell.

“Take a deep breath. Focus on it. What do you smell?”

Silence followed us through the tunnels as she took several before speaking again.

“It smells like rocks that have sat out in the sun.”

Chuckling I shook my head. There was so much more than that if she truly focused.

“What else?”

We stayed in the same tunnel, passing where I would usually have turned before she managed to give me something more.

“There’s a mineral scent. I don’t know what it is.”

Dipping my chin, I directed her to the right.

“Again.”

It only took her four breaths before she shook her head and made a frustrated sound.

“I don’t know. It’s the same, but instead of minerals, it’s… green?”

I grinned and nodded in approval, and she made the connection.

“You navigate by scent?”

Her tone rose at the end, as if it was the strangest thing she’d encountered. My laugh echoed around us as we turned again, joined by a quiet growl that cut off almost as soon as it began.

“Even with better vision, it’s still dark in the tunnels. We’ve cultivated moss for as long as we’ve been settled in Korvashan, but there are tunnels that have no light at all. Sounds echo, and no one wants to go around licking the walls.”

The look she gave me said I was ridiculous, until it dissolved into a reluctant smile as she shook her head and huffed.

“Okay, fair. Your sense of smell must be much better than mine though, because I don’t think scent is going to be enough for me to get around.”

I lifted one shoulder and let it drop.

“You’ll learn the paths to where you go the most, but you never have to worry about getting lost.”

Raising a brow, she asked the obvious question.

“Why?”

Letting my teeth show, I curled my tail around her from behind, pulling her to a stop outside a nondescript metal door like all the others we had passed.

“Because you have me.”

Her eyes rolled and she turned her head away, but I didn’t miss the way her lips twitched like she wanted to smile again.

Triumphant, I pressed my palm against the entry panel and the door slid open. I’d been gone for a while even before the trip to Earth, so the air that escaped was a little stale, but the vents drilled through the stone kept it from being too stuffy or unsafe.

I motioned Elaina inside then followed, letting the door slide shut. The data pads and sliding doors were more bonuses of being on the High Ledge instead of on the lower level with the other Morrak who weren’t from noble lineages or of high enough rank.

Elaina’s gaze swept the space, seeming to assess and catalogue everything. The quarters were large compared to some of the older ones near the ravine. It lacked a view and had less crystals in the ceiling, but the dark was something I was familiar with, although I’d have to find more lighting for Elaina.

Weapons decorated one wall with shelves containing training gear and a few books below. I had a clear area along the back wall for me to keep up my training when I didn’t feel like joining the warriors for drills on the surface, with a seating area to the right, and a dining table on the left.

The entrance to the sleeping chamber was straight ahead, the nest taking up most of the space, but I’d always liked less area around me when I slept. An enclosed space felt safer when I had to let down my guard.

It was our nest now, and satisfaction curled through me at the unexpected realization that it would become a true nest soon, filled with soft, comfortable things, and a curvy omega to snuggle.

Elaina wandered farther inside while I remained in the entryway. Her containers had already been delivered and stood in a stack across from me since no alpha would invade another’s sleeping chamber, and betas only would with express permission.

She spotted her things and moved towards them without a word, and part of me tensed. An omega moving into an alpha’s home was an important moment. The omega was in control within the home, and I’d let her empty the place and fill it with Human things if necessary.

I was in the middle of imagining her placing pillows on the couch, and blankets on the bench beside the table, when she pulled out a set of clothing instead.

My brow lowered as she straightened and looked around.

“What are you doing?”

Her eyes met mine, confusion once again written in them.

“Looking for the bathroom so I can get dressed.”

She gestured to the robe as if it wasn’t adequate. As if it wasn’t already covering too much of her.

“There is no need to dress. We are not expecting anyone. It is late.”

Her brows bunched and she frowned.

“That’s why I need to get ready for bed.”

Crossing my arms, I shook my head, standing tall as I reminded her of the rule I knew was included in the packet she had received.

“Nudity is expected within the home. An omega must be available to her alpha.”

Shock flit across her face before it sharpened into anger. She glared, breathing heavy, jaw tense before she closed her eyes and forced her shoulders to relax.

“Drazien.”

She spoke my name with suspicious calm, and I narrowed my own eyes, a growl tickling the back of my throat.

“I am not your omega yet.”

The statement caught me by surprise, choking off the growl as my lungs froze. I had chosen her and she had accepted the injection. She knew she was my korravalryn, yet she sounded as if she didn’t realize that.

“You accepted the serum.”

She kept her face clear, multicolored eyes wide as she swallowed before dipping her head.

“I did, but that doesn’t take away my individuality.”

My kethra flashed before I smothered them, brows still lowered. My spine was tense with the fight to keep my tail still when it wanted to lash, and my claws dug into the flesh of my arms as I clenched my fingers around them.

The distinction felt strangely important to her, but I wasn't certain why. No one truly wanted to be an individual, alone, and yet she said it as if it was the most important thing.

Sighing, Elaina waved her hand at the empty dwelling.

“There’s nobody here except us.”

I blinked, waiting for a better explanation as she stared at me.

“There is no reason I can't wear clothes when no one will know.”

Confusion and a touch of hurt settled in my chest. I opened my mouth but closed it again, unable to articulate what was roiling within me. It wasn’t that I didn't understand what she was saying, I just didn't grasp why she was arguing about a custom she’d been aware of before coming here.

It was only clothing.

Elaina interpreted my silence differently, the edges of her lips lifting as she dipped her head in a nod.

“Thank you.”

Before I could formulate an argument to stop her, she disappeared into the sleeping chamber with her clothing, shutting the door behind her. I remained where I stood, frowning at the metal between us, trying to figure out what had happened to the submissive woman I’d seen at the gala.

The entire interaction felt wrong, because she'd somehow won an argument I hadn’t realized we were having. The knowledge was irritating, and I waited for her to emerge so I could correct her assumption that I’d agreed to let her bypass the requirement.

I shifted to one foot.

Then the other.

Every omega nested. The instinct was universal. It was a need that had to be fulfilled, or the omega risked mental distress. She would come out and get her things, and arrange them in whatever way soothed her. She would add blankets to the bed. More pillows. Some omegas even added clothing, especially any that carried their alpha’s scent.

Grinning to myself, I let my korrvek dangle from my fingers. I’d put my pants back on when she’d seemed scandalized by the thought of me walking through Korvashan in nothing, but I hadn’t wanted the additional layer that still smelled of the ship and the hot winds of the surface.

My grin slipped as I waited, the door remaining shut. I couldn’t hear anything from the other side, and my tail lashed, escaping my control.

I was moving across the room before I could stop myself, palming the door open. The silent whoosh revealed my bed exactly the way I’d left it, except for a lump on the far side.

She hadn’t added anything to it.

She hadn’t made it hers.

She had simply gone to sleep.

The disappointment that bit into me was unexpected and sharp. I retreated to the main room before I could examine why, shutting the door once more.

I spent an unknown amount of time trying to ignore the fact that she had disregarded the need to nest. She’d defied my culture’s expectations and then defied her biological needs.

The behavior needed correcting.

Decision made, I stalked toward the sleeping chamber. I was prepared to explain exactly why her actions were unacceptable and that she needed to correct them.

The door opened and I crossed the space, planning to wake her, but the words died as I gazed down at her sleeping face. She was curled beneath the blankets, face relaxed, making her look young and sweet.

Like the omega I’d thought I had chosen.

Her exhaustion remained obvious, even in her sleep. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and there was a flush to her tanned skin that made me think she might be fevered again. One hand trapped beneath her cheek, loose curls spilled across the pillow as she breathed deep.

For several moments I simply stood there, watching her. The irritation drained away, even though I found it annoying that I couldn’t go through with waking her.

But she had crossed the galaxy, survived a serum that changed her DNA, endured days of fever and pain, and then climbed the main levels of Korvashan.

Perhaps demanding obedience could wait until she awoke.

I removed my pants and climbed into bed beside her. For a moment I had hoped for more from our first night in my home, but I could be patient.

That thought lasted approximately three heartbeats before instinct took over and I rolled towards her. Before I made the conscious decision, my arm wrapped around her waist, my tail curling around her thigh.

She might have said she wasn’t mine yet, but her body knew better. Even in sleep, she leaned into me, muscles relaxing against my bulk, a soft purr leaving her on each exhale.

My lips curled as I tucked my nose into her hair and let sleep take me.

The next thing I knew, I was being jabbed in the ribs by something hard and pointy, as if a child were trying to attack me with their tail. I opened one eye to see that the room was brighter even though I wasn’t sure I felt as if I’d slept. Still, I’d survived weeks of minimal sleep on missions, and I was able to ascertain what the problem was.

Elaina was trapped beneath me, and by the glare leveled at my face, she wasn’t enjoying it.

My arm pinned her back to my chest, my hand cupping the soft mound of her breast. My tail had twined around her thigh and lifted it, the tip pressed to her core, only the thin fabric of her clothing keeping it from penetrating her. We were both rolled forward, half my weight resting across her back, pressing her into the bedding.

I watched for several moments as her struggle grew increasingly frustrated. Finally, she huffed, the sound almost making me laugh at the degree of irritation it held.

“Vorrak drazh.”

The green in her eyes was clearer with them so close to mine, and so was the growl that vibrated from her.

“You're crushing me.”

I tipped my head, studying the color of her face and the flutter of her pulse in her neck.

“I am not.”

“You absolutely are. Get off me.”

I didn’t like her giving commands, but eventually, I released her. She immediately rolled away, the warmth of her fading from the sheets even though her scent remained. The loss was strangely upsetting, and I disliked that realization.

Which was precisely why I reminded myself of the plan.

Find the rebels.

Draw them to me.

It was the purpose behind all of this, even if Elaina was the reward.

Still, to be my lure, Elaina needed to be seen. It was inevitable that word would spread of another Human omega in Korvashan, but when you wanted things to be shared was when they usually weren’t. Or not fast enough.

The rebels needed to see Elaina and think she would be another easy target to draw them out. The logic remained sound, even if every muscle within me tightened at the thought.

I ignored the instincts tugging at me, just as I ignored the uncomfortable feeling that followed my decision about how to spend the day.

“Get dressed.”

Elana had stopped at the door, and suspicion lurked on her face when she looked back at me.

“Oh, now I can dress?”

Her sass helped me push aside the other feelings, and I grinned as I stood, watching her eyes go wide at my lack of clothing.

“Of course. Korvashan awaits.”

Her expression brightened, curiosity replacing irritation. It was good to see that she was interested in that, even if she seemed to be doing her best to avoid me.

I had a feeling taking her to the archives would be a mistake. She would disappear inside and never emerge, which meant I needed to show her the city first. She could see the preparations for Khavren, the Markets, and the Fungus Gardens. All that life in Korvashan offered.

And during that time, she would be seen. People would talk. And the rebels would begin to plan.

Only then would I take her to the archives.

The quiet, lonesome archives, where people could sneak in and out without being caught.

Where they’d think she was vulnerable if something called me away.

Where I planned to catch them when they tried to attack.

Chapter Twelve

Elaina

The first thing I noticed about Korvashan during the day was that it wasn't dark, and everything wasn’t red. It wasn’t too ridiculous to have assumed both of those considering the entire city was buried beneath the ground on a planet that circled a red dwarf, but I was wrong.

It wasn’t as if it was as bright as what I was used to on Earth, but there was light in the tunnels and caverns besides what the moss emitted. Crystals embedded throughout the ceiling and walls glowed in shades of amber, violet, and deep red. Their light reflected from polished stones and mirrors, making the entire city seem to sparkle with a rainbow of light.

I stopped at the railing to stare down at the bridges that crossed the ravine. With the color of the stone and the distance, they seemed to float in midair, connecting one flat wall to another, and it was strange to see one of the Morraki striding across them.

I hadn’t expected to be surprised by Morrakan itself, focused on studying the language and culture, but each time I looked, it showed me something else impossibly breathtaking.

“You're staring.”

I looked over my shoulder at Drazien. He stood slightly behind me, hand braced over my head against the column I’d stopped beside, crowding me. He didn’t seem to understand the concept of personal space.

Unlike the previous evening when he’d crowded me in the River Caverns, at least he was dressed.

Mostly.

The sleeveless black tunic left his arms exposed and did absolutely nothing to make him look less intimidating. Or less distracting. And the fact that the Morrak apparently had the equivalent of grey sweatpants was something that I hadn’t needed to be aware of.

“It’s okay to stare when there is something worth staring at.”

His lips twitched, a fang flashing.

“Yet you seem to have a problem when I do it.”

My cheeks warmed and I turned back to the view below. I wasn’t unfamiliar with male attention, but it had never made my stomach twist the way his did.

“There’s a difference when it’s a person.”

I felt him move behind me but refused to look. It didn’t matter, because a moment later his breath ghosted against my ear.

“I don’t think so.”

I kept myself frozen until he gave me some space, then I turned to him with narrowed eyes. He looked entirely too pleased with himself, and unfortunately, I was beginning to enjoy our arguments too much to make my glare believable.

“Come, rethari. There is more to see.”

It still irritated me that I didn’t know what he was calling me. He’d implied I wouldn’t like it, so I couldn’t let it go. If I had even a prefix to work from I’d be able to guess, but the word didn’t match anything I’d learned.

“Are you going to tell me what that means?”

His grin widened, dangerous, smug, and entirely too attractive.

“It’s more fun to watch you squirm.”

I hated him a little. Not much, just enough to make me wish someone might punch him in the face once so he couldn’t grin at me like that.

The walk across the High Ledge could have been intimidating, but I found myself distracted by everything around me.

The architecture.

The people.

The sheer scale of the city.

Every structure was carved directly from the stone itself and had the feel of something that had withstood the test of time and remained. On Earth there were buildings that felt temporary, even fragile, but the Morrak built in a way that seemed meant to last as long as Morrakan itself. Korvashan looked as though it had existed forever and would continue existing long after everyone there was gone.

Earth had places like that, ancient cities and historic landmarks, but this felt different. The Morrak predated Humans as we were. Their civilization was older, stronger, and if more people could see what I had, they would understand why we needed them for protection.

My stomach twisted again and for a moment I was caught by the fact that I could potentially harm that alliance with what I planned. The Morrak had been sparse with information sharing, and if I learned something they didn’t want Humans to know, and they found out I’d purposely misled everyone when I came here, it could turn into a problem.

My attention snagged on a group of Morraki carrying long strips of crimson fabric and I shoved my other concerns aside.

“What are those for?”

“Khavren.”

Drazien had accepted his role as tour guide and had answered all of my questions, but sometimes it felt as if he were deciding how much to tell me. That answer came quickly, as if there were no question about their purpose.

Several more groups appeared farther along the walkway. Some carried what looked like lanterns, while others hauled crates. One group seemed to be constructing some sort of raised platform in the center of the cavern that was the main entrance from the surface, while another passed by with buckets of sand.

“All of this is for Khavren?”

One shoulder lifted in a shrug, muscles rippling beneath dark skin. In the brighter light, his skin had a violet sheen that was more intense on his cheeks and what flesh I could see peeking from the top of his shirt.

“The festival begins soon. My people worship Shaevrin, the Eternal Winds. Shaevrin guides, but Khorr transforms. Khorr devours. It changes everything it touches.”

I was caught by the intensity in his voice as he explained. I hadn’t pegged Drazien as someone who might be religious or have theological leanings, but he spoke like one who had no reservations about the validity of his words.

Information about Shaevrin had been included in the packet I’d received, but it seemed as if Khorr was held in the same regard. The evidence before me proved its importance.

The entire city seemed to be anticipating something, the atmosphere reminding me of holidays back on Earth. Not a specific one, just the general sense of expectation and the feeling that everyone was waiting for something exciting to arrive.

A strange ache pressed on my chest, and I swallowed hard as I looked away. Holidays had been a special time while my mother was alive, but they’d become a source of pain once I was alone.

Drazien’s fingers slipped under my chin, turning my face up to his. His nostrils flared, and a crease appeared between his brows, his usual smirk missing.

“You are sad.”

The statement caught me off guard and I frowned up at him.

“How do you know that?”

Cocking a brow, he released my chin but didn’t move away, and I noticed his tail wrapped around the back of my legs.

“Your scent changed. An alpha notices these things.”

I still wasn't convinced that was a real thing. How could he smell an emotion? Tears, sure, because of the salt, but I hadn’t shed any.

Sighing, I decided to answer the question he hadn’t asked.

“I was thinking about Earth.”

Understanding crossed his face. I didn’t see any sign of pity, which was a blessing, because I didn’t want to give him more than that simple explanation.

Taking my hand, he pulled me towards the stairs, and I managed to swallow my groan before it escaped. Who needed PT when the city you lived in gave you a workout anytime you wanted to go anywhere.

Instead of continuing on the stairs when we reached the first landing, he tugged me to the side, pulling me into a wide tunnel that quickly let out into what had to be the Cavern Markets.

All other thoughts drifted away as my eyes widened. Tables and stalls lined both sides of the broad pathway ahead of us, smaller paths branching off each side crowded with more stalls. Color exploded in every direction as I stared at the different wares. Textiles, jewelry, food… I even spotted weapons and what looked like books.

More people than I'd seen since arriving walked from vendor the vendor, engaging with the people selling the items on display. Their voices echoed through the cavern, overlapping into an unintelligible mash that had my heart racing at the prospect of piecing it all together. That alone kept my usual reluctance over facing crowds at bay.

The scent of unfamiliar spices drifted through the air, drawing my attention to a table nearby. I didn’t recognize any of the food, but my mouth watered at the prospect of trying it all.

My head swiveled as something else caught my attention. I was trying to absorb everything at once and failing spectacularly, but I was too excited by it all to care.

“This is…”

Reality hit and my shoulders slumped.

“Impossible.”

It would take months, years, to learn everything there was in that single cavern. The names of the food, spices, colors, clothing styles… I wouldn’t make a dent in it with only a week or two to study it all.

Drazien looked amused when my eyes landed on him, one brow arched as he stared at me the way he always seemed to.

“What is?”

Letting out a breath, I gestured to the booths around us.

“Learning all of this.”

I gave a helpless shrug and shook my head, not expecting him to understand.

“The words for all of it. The rules. Your customs.”

His gaze followed mine then returned, his expression solemn for once.

“You don’t need to learn it all today.”

The answer sounded reasonable for someone with a lifetime on Morrakan ahead of them, but that wasn’t the plan. And since he didn’t know I had no intention of staying, it made it difficult to argue.

Swallowing, I said the only thing I could.

“I still want to.”

His grin returned and he laughed under his breath.

“Okay, rethari. Then let’s begin.”

Warmth that I couldn’t ignore curled through my chest as he tugged me to the first table. He sounded too pleased as he started translating, pointing to each item as he went.

“The sign says Zorhen. Food. Everything this stall has is edible.”

He named each item in his language and then explained what it was in Common. I raised a brow at some of it, but according to what I’d read, everything the Morrak ate was safe for Humans as well.

“Do you want to try something?”

Excitement surged through me and I knew I was grinning like a fool. I’d been a picky eater as a kid but the string of nannies, some of whom had been different nationalities, had gotten me to expand my palate. I’d become something of a foodie whenever I had the chance to indulge.

“Yes, please.”

Drazien raised a brow, his own lips twitching before he turned to the vendor.

“Rhae.”

Cutting me a glance from the corner of his eye, he switched to Common.

“Everything, or all.”

My breath caught, but I wasn’t going to argue. If he’d asked me to choose something I wouldn’t have been able to, and since we’d left his place without breakfast, I was hungry enough to try anything.

He passed the vendor a coin that was as black as the walls of Veyrdrahl’korash, then we stood off to the side as they loaded a tray with one of each item. It was a little intimidating to see the amount the Morrak considered a single portion, and for a moment I worried about the waste.

I shouldn’t have.

Once Drazien had the tray he herded me farther behind the stall. I was confused until I saw the two little tables set up in a gap between the back of the food vendor and another stall.

Drazien’s little smirk when I rushed to pull a chair out for him almost made me want to yank it completely out from under him, but he was holding the tray, and I didn’t want the food spilled all over the ground. Especially before I had a chance to taste it.

“So, my rethari can be caring.”

I pasted on a fake smile, keeping my voice sweet as I responded.

“You seemed to be struggling with the tray, and I just didn’t want you to drop my food.”

His laugh rang out, forcing a reluctant chuckle from me as I took the seat opposite and waited for him to position the tray to his satisfaction. Before I could decide which item to try first, Drazien took a small purple ball between his fingers and held it in front of my mouth.

The expectation was clear even without the smirk.

“It is soft. Bite straight through.”

For a heartbeat I considered protesting, but he’d ordered all of it for me, so I could do as he wanted and let him feed it to me.

My teeth sank through dough that reminded me of a mochi, but the filling was a burst of something like curry. Savory and spicy, it was a bit chewy, and it took a moment before I could swallow it.

Drazien popped the rest into his mouth and seemed to swallow without chewing at all.

“Well?”

I was still trying to clear my teeth of the dough, so I raised a hand to rock it back and forth.

“Good, but chewy. Not sure I could eat many of those.”

He grunted and picked up what looked like a moss-green turnover. The flaky dough had a glaze that dripped from the corner as he held it out and arched a brow.

Since he didn’t give any instructions, I assumed it was safe to take a normal bite, so I leaned forward. His gaze was locked on my mouth as I opened, his focus making me shiver even though it was still warm on the second level.

I had expected a filling in the center since it looked like a turnover, but I hadn’t been prepared for the gush of meat-flavored chunky pudding that was inside the flaky dough. My nose scrunched before I could stop it, my jaw moving slowly as I tried to get over the texture.

Drazien’s grin was toothy, and he set the rest aside instead of eating it the way he had the purple ball.

“That’s not a favorite of mine either.”

I gave a cough after forcing it down, and he rose with a command to stay put. I eyed the rest of the food while he was gone, but he returned before I could decide which to try next.

“Kharev,” he said, lifting the hand holding two small cups before placing them on the table. Lifting the other holding a single jug, he said, “Vorreni juice.”

He pushed one of the small cups towards me and took the other. His gaze was intense, expression blank, but the little twitch at the corner of his mouth gave me a hint to what kharev was.

When my hand closed around the cup, he lifted his and knocked it back, exactly like he was taking a shot. Steeling myself, I followed his example, my throat seizing with the expected response the moment it hit my tongue.

My eyes bulged as I swallowed the liquid, every tissue it touched tingling. My eyes started to water as it dropped into my stomach, and Drazien came around the table to pat my back as I let out a dry cough.

I’d drank whiskey a few times, even taken shots, but nothing I’d had before compared to the deep, pervasive warmth spreading through my throat and chest. Despite the heat it produced, it didn’t burn the way alcohol I was familiar with did. It was sweet and smokey, with spices I couldn’t name, and thick enough to coat my tongue and throat. It was nothing like I’d expected it to be.

“Drink the juice. It will mellow it out.”

He grabbed the larger cup before I could reach for it, bringing it closer to me as his other hand remained on my back. His bulk blocked most of my vision as he leaned over beside me, his tail looping around to rub my opposite thigh. The next breath I took was full of his scent, adding to the way my head was starting to spin.

I gulped down half the juice, the sweetness complimenting the lingering taste of the kharev, before looking up at him. I’d expected to find him smirking like usual, but the look in his eyes stole my breath more than the drink had.

“I…”

My thoughts clouded, core clenching as I swallowed.

“I think we have more food to try.”

His usual smile returned as he patted me on the back once more before taking his seat across from me again.

“As you wish, rethari. Try this next.”

He fed me by hand, eyes moving between mine and my lips. Goosebumps rose along my arms, and my nipples were hard points inside my bra, and by the time I nibbled a corner off the last of the dishes, I feared I’d soaked through the shorts I’d worn.

Increased secretions was too mild of a phrase to explain what was happening.

Eventually we made it through a good chunk of the Markets, with Drazien insisting on buying me some of the Morraki style robes and dresses we looked at, as well as jewelry and accessories. It was strange to see a giant alien who resembled what most Humans would have called a demon walking around carrying my bags like a dutiful boyfriend back on Earth.

We moved on to the Fungus Gardens which were on the same level, and they stunned me almost as much as the River Caverns. Towering shelves of bioluminescent growth stretched upward through carefully maintained chambers. Vines of soft blues and pinks draped between benches and garden beds, giving the space an intimate feeling the Markets had lacked.

The effect was almost magical.

I spent entirely too long wandering through the quiet space, whispering questions to Drazien since it felt wrong to speak louder. He answered all of them with a patience that surprised me when I thought about it, and I realized he’d shown many unexpected qualities. Beneath the cocky smile was a depth he didn’t seem to want people to see.

And, even more surprising, I was having fun.

The thought stopped me, and I turned to blink at the male by my side. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d enjoyed myself.

It should have been impossible. My life had been overturned, my future remained uncertain, and I was trapped on a strange planet with a male who alternated between infuriating and charming often enough that I wasn't sure which version was real.

Yet somehow I was enjoying myself, and it was because of him. It wouldn’t have been the same with someone more serious, or considerate.

And that was a dangerous thought. Very dangerous, considering I was essentially lying to him and planning to leave him at the altar.

I immediately reminded myself why I was here. This was the best place to learn more of the Morraki language, as well as their culture, in a way they weren’t allowing other Humans to do, and if I did well enough, I could trade the information to get my life back when I returned home.

The reminder felt weaker than they should have, but it was the best I could do.

Drazien noticed my sudden silence, pulling me closer to him as we exited the gardens and he led me somewhere else. He had a need to be constantly touching me, either with his hands or tail, and I’d grown used to it in a way that usually took much longer.

“What are you thinking about?”

I hesitated before deciding partial honesty wouldn't hurt.

“This wasn't what I expected.”

His brow lifted and his head tilted to the side as he studied me.

“Korvashan?”

I lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug.

“Korvashan, Morrakan, the injection… You.”

The last part slipped out before I could catch it, and Drazien’s lips curled into a smile. He seemed like the type who wouldn’t want to be what was expected, and might be disappointed if he was told he was.

“I just thought it would feel...”

Similar to Earth.

Like a typical assignment.

Forgettable.

I couldn't say any of those things. None of them were true, and the last part scared me more than I wanted to admit.

Instead, I shook my head and settled on the simplest.

“Different.”

His smile didn’t hold any teasing or arrogance like it usually did. He looked as if he was simply pleased with my response, as if different was the best thing I could have said of his home.

“It is easy to assume all other inhabited planets are similar to your own when it is the only one you’ve seen.”

The statement sounded oddly gentle coming from him, and I was forced to drop my gaze as I struggled with my tangled thoughts. Tricking him and then leaving had sounded so simple before coming here and getting to know him, but he wasn’t who I’d thought he was from the brief glimpses at the gala.

I hadn’t missed the way the other Morrak looked at him. He was given a wide berth, and while I caught a few stares, Drazien attracted just as many, as if his own people weren’t sure what to expect from him. It made me think he was more than just a high-ranking soldier.

Still, I didn’t want Drazien to start prying, so I asked the first question I could think of to turn the conversation.

“How many planets have you been to?”

Even though I was using it to distract him, I was interested in his answer. Humans were aware of the Morrak and the Qy’shaeuhl and a handful of other species, but I knew there had to be more out there.

He thought for a moment, and I was shocked when he replied.

“About twenty. Maybe closer to thirty, but only about half were inhabited.”

The possibility of that many other civilizations, with who knew how many languages and customs, was mind boggling. I could spend every day for the rest of my life studying all of them and never learn even half well enough to claim fluency or understanding. I was starting to think it might take most of a lifetime just to learn all there was about the Morrak.

Fortunately, before I could think of more questions to ask, an opening appeared to our right. We’d returned to the High Ledge, my thighs complaining about the stairs once again, but a familiar scent distracted me.

Leather.

Ink.

Dust.

My heart leapt and I froze as Drazien turned us through the doorway. Before us were rows and rows of rolled hides and leatherbound books on shelves. It looked like a maze from where I stood, tables and chairs interspersed amongst the bookcases, and even the climb up from the River Caverns hadn’t made my heart beat as hard as it did in that moment.

How had he known?

I knew my paperwork said I was a shipping analyst. It only listed three of the languages I could read and write. I had said I wanted to learn his, but how could he have guessed that their version of a library was something I would want to see?

Drazien let out what sounded like a long-suffering sigh as he tugged on my hand and got me moving again. I was too busy gazing around to watch where he was leading me, but anywhere within the room would be perfect to me.

“If you want to learn the language, I supposed you need to start the way all Morraki do. These are the archives.”

His expression suggested he did not share my love of learning and books, and I couldn’t help letting out a laugh. It was the kind that couldn’t be held in, and for reasons I didn't understand, Drazien smiled back in an easy way that made me think this wasn’t going to be as torturous for him as wanted to make it out to be.

Chapter Thirteen

Drazien

I’d guessed that Elaina would like the archives, but I should have known bringing her there would be a mistake. Not because she couldn’t read Morraki, but because she was voracious when it came to acquiring new information. 

The moment we entered, she transformed. The slight hesitation she'd shown when questioning me before disappeared. Even her scent shifted, brightening in a way that reminded me of the first time she'd seen the River Caverns.

Curiosity and excitement shone from her. The kind I'd seen in scholars and strategists that drove them to obsess over problems until they were solved.

Unfortunately for me, Elaina couldn’t learn the entire Morraki language in a day, although she was determined to try.

“...and this?”

Her finger landed on a section of text written in blood on the softened hide. My gaze traced the symbol before climbing her finger to her small hand, then up further.

“Drahl.”

“And drahl is stone?”

“Yes.”

I was only partially paying attention to what she was asking, most of my attention focused on her rather than the words. I’d planned to use the time in the archives to scope out the best place to hide, to set my trap, but I hadn’t moved from the seat across from her.

She immediately pointed to another word.

“And this one?”

“Thara.”

“Thara. When we arrived… you said the black wall was… Veyr-drahl-tharvek.”

My tail tightened around the leg of the chair I sat on. I could practically see her thinking, and she remembered things remarkably well. We'd only been there a short time, yet she'd already begun identifying recurring symbols and roots.

Even Morraki children didn’t make connections as fast as she had.

“Vek has to be a suffix that changes the meaning of thara in some way. It’s in other words too. Is it…”

Her pause was a bit longer before her eyes widened. The candle on the table reflected from them, bringing out the green flecks amidst the pale brown.

“Protection? Protector? Like a shield?”

A smile tugged at my lips, making an answering one spread across her face. She knew she was right before I confirmed.

“Yes, tharvek is shield.”

The way she glowed was dangerous.

“So Veyrdrahl’tharvek has to mean blood, stone, shield. The fortress is called Bloodstone Shield.”

My shaft twitched at the way she grinned when she looked up at me once more. The desire to make her look at me like that was distracting, and I had to turn my head away to break the hold she had over me.

“You are insufferable.”

Her scoff had me facing her once more, unable to fight my own smirk at her outrage.

“What?”

I leaned back in the chair, crossing my arms over my chest. If she could have seen beneath the table, seen what she did to me, that expression would have changed into something else, but soon it would make her smile just the same as when she translated a new word.

“You enjoy being right.”

She scoffed again, rolling her eyes before focusing on the text once more. I missed having her attention on me, but I resisted the urge to pull the scroll away.

“You should be familiar with that feeling.”

I snorted. The jab should not have pleased me when I’d expected a meek, compliant omega, but I found I enjoyed her spark.

Before I could linger on that thought, a strange growl echoed around us. Elaina froze, eyes widening as if she were shocked before she placed a hand over her stomach.

Her cheeks flushed as she let out a short laugh, confirming the sound had come from her, but it was nothing like the other growls she’d produced when irritated with me.

“Sorry, my stomach seems to think it’s empty.”

Realization hit and I leaned forward. I hadn’t realized how much time had passed as we sat amidst the dust archives.

“You are hungry.”

She opened her mouth and I knew she’d planned to deny it, but another growl interrupted her.

I raised a brow and her eyes narrowed. The argument lasted three heartbeats before she gave in with a huff, not a single word exchanged.

Standing, I took her hand and tugged her to her feet.

“Drazien.”

I shook my head and pulled her towards the exit.

“You need food.”

She sighed and looked over her shoulder at the open scroll on the table. There were betas who cleaned and straightened the archives who would put it away, so I wasn’t worried about leaving it there.

“I can survive another hour.”

I arched a brow at her again.

“Omegas become irrational when hungry.”

Her expression darkened and the glare I remembered returned. I enjoyed it just as much as the smile she’d bestowed on me before.

Ignoring her protests, I led her through the tunnels. The archives had hidden her for too long, and if the rebels were going to target her, they needed to see her coming and going from there. If she stayed without emerging, it defeated the purpose of showing her the city.

The thought left a sour taste in my mouth. My instincts were resisting the idea of using her as bait, but strategy demanded difficult choices. The safety of one did not outweigh the good of many.

I guided her back through High Ledge, taking a different route than before. We didn’t know who was involved in the prior attacks or how many rebels there were, so they needed multiple opportunities to see her.

Her pace was slower than previously, but I assumed it was her reluctance to leave the archives. I tried asking her about the scent of each tunnel we traversed but gave up as she grew quieter and each response took longer. Humans weren’t used to walking around and climbing stairs the way we did in Korvashan. I’d been warned she would be slow and need time to adjust.

We descended the back stairwell and then the Markets stretched before us once more, crowded with activity as preparations for Khavren continued. Crimson banners hung from the columns and stalls, colored lights lined the walkways, and music drifted through the cavern from somewhere ahead.

The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation. Outside of Zha’Khorr Valryn, Khavren was one of the few celebrations observed on Morrakan, and everyone participated.

Elaina's gaze moved constantly, taking in every detail, every color, every face. It was more pleasing than it should have been that she was interested in it all.

I led her toward another food vendor, and her attention shifted to what was on offer. The vendor greeted me by name since it was where I frequently ordered my meals, and my lips twitched at the look Elaina gave me when she caught it amidst the words she didn’t yet know.

The female was only a beta, but it was in an omega’s nature to be suspicious of others around the alpha they had chosen prior to bonding. Claiming a mate was the only way to assure they were truly theirs, and with the Human’s habit of changing mates almost as often as they changed their clothing, a Human omega had to be twice as suspicious.

The thought of Elaina being territorial had me grinning as I ordered enough food for both of us. I was tempted to further her suspicions to see what she would do, but another customer came along so I took the tray and carried it toward one of the open seating areas.

Elaina reached for one of the pastries as soon as we sat, but I moved it first. Her hand closed on empty air, and she blinked at where the food had been resting a moment before.

Lifting the pastry towards her mouth, I watched her brow furrow and her lips flatten as she planned to deny me.

“I can feed myself.”

Smirking, I continued to hold it in place for her to taste.

“I am aware.”

She crossed her arms, glaring at me. I waited, smile in place, ready to spend the rest of the day locked in place if necessary. Elaina had a stubborn streak, but I was patient.

Eventually she sighed, the sound carrying her resignation as she leaned forward and took a bite. Satisfaction surged through me, the instinct to take care of my omega appeased by the simple act of feeding her.

I wanted to feed her other things, but that had to wait. I couldn’t have her delirious with hunger instead of paying attention to what I planned to do to her body.

I offered her another piece, and then another. By the fourth bite, she stopped pretending to protest and simply accepted the food, stirring a purr from my chest. It wasn’t the first time I’d purred for her, but with her omega hormones fully developed, the response was stronger than it had been while she was more Human.

Movement nearby caught her attention, but it was only another Morraki shopping. I would never let Elaina be in real danger while she was with me, but she continued to watch the people around us, frown growing between bites.

“Do you not like it?”

She had enjoyed the sahlak earlier, so she should have liked it stuffed inside the veythra.

She hesitated before shaking her head, then subtly pointed behind my right arm.

“I think I've seen him before.”

My gaze followed hers to a warrior inspecting an emblem at the stall behind me. It was nothing unusual for the Markets.

“Are you certain it was him?”

It was rare for two Morraki to have the same skin tone and luth’rein unless they were related, but there were many brothers in Korvashan. Male births had outnumbered female for generations.

She hesitated again before shaking her head as she ducked it.

“Not certain, no.”

I shrugged and offered her another bite.

“The city has many people.”

Her expression suggested she wasn't convinced. While the entire point of dragging her around Korvashan was to attract attention to her and try to catch the rebels, the warrior didn't appear threatening, and I hadn’t noticed him before.

The matter slipped from my thoughts as I continued to feed Elaina, her eyes growing drowsier with each bite. Eventually I stood and ordered her to stay where she was so I could fetch drinks.

Her eyes narrowed, her mood having soured since leaving the archives.

“I wasn't planning to run away.”

My mouth stretched in a grin as my tail curled behind me.

“Good.”

I left before she could formulate a response. The vendor selling beverages was only a short distance away, and I was heading back within moments.

When I returned, Elaina looked unsettled, darting glances around her as if she expected someone to attack at any moment. I placed the cups on the table and scanned the crowd moving around us, but nothing stood out to me.

“What happened?”

Her gaze flicked up to me before going back to scanning the Market. She didn’t even look as she reached for the cup and brought it towards her mouth.

“I think people are watching me.”

The statement caught my attention, but I pretended I wasn’t concerned. She was Human and would draw interest from many Morrak, not just the rebels.

“Who?”

She turned her head, looking around without being obvious that she was gauging the people, not the products on display. I was surprised by how good she was at it.

“There were three. They took turns passing by, then pretending to shop before turning as another took their place.”

My brows rose. There had been three who confronted Serenya in the Markets, and three attacked Taryn, but they were dead, ripped to pieces by her varku.

I followed Elaina’s gaze, trying to spot anyone showing her too much interest, but there was nothing. Just the normal traffic and movement of people shopping. There was no obvious threat or unusual behavior.

I studied Elaina and she seemed convinced, but she wasn’t properly trained. She didn’t know how to spot people faking being normal within a crowd.

“You are different. There haven’t been many Humans on Morrakan yet, so you will get stares.”

The words earned me another glare.

“I know the difference between curiosity and animosity.”

I shrugged and she muttered something in her language. I didn’t catch it, but I chose not to ask her to repeat what she’d said. It had probably been insulting.

The thought amused me, and I smiled as I watched her finish the juice. She was more alert than she’d been when she first started eating, but she didn’t seem interested in the food any longer. Humans apparently ate much less than we did, but she was also much smaller.

Clearing away what was left, I stood and guided her toward the River Caverns. She protested the stairs, bemoaning the fact that she’d have to climb them again once we were done bathing.

I ignored the complaints, keeping ahold of her hand to pull her along. By the time we reached the River Caverns, her objections had stopped, and she followed without trying to slow me down.

She seemed to be growing increasingly comfortable around me. She was more willing to remain close and accepted my touch without trying to pull away at the first opportunity. It was progress, and the knowledge spread warmth through my chest.

We passed several other Morraki bathing in the river. Families, warriors, and dozens of couples. Nothing seemed unusual until Elaina suddenly stopped.

“There.”

I followed her gaze as she made a small gesture toward a warrior seated on the opposite bank. He was in shadow, features hard to make out, but he appeared to be watching a pair of female betas bathing in one of the pools.

“What about him?”

She shook her head and tugged my hand, keeping her voice low despite the fact that even with our enhanced hearing, he wouldn’t be able to hear her.

“I saw him earlier. In the Market Caverns.”

The certainty in her voice made me study the male more carefully. Nothing stood out, and I didn’t remember seeing him before. He was dressed, but that wasn’t unusual, and he didn’t have any obvious weapons.

He was just another warrior enjoying the river.

I looked down at Elaina and shrugged.

“Many go to the Markets then come to the river to bathe.”

A series of emotions flickered across her face before she turned it away from me. Her shoulders slumped, defeat written in her posture.

Once, I would have appreciated her submission.

“I don't believe in coincidences.”

I almost laughed when I caught her mutter. It was a comment I’d made myself on many occasions, and I usually would have agreed, but this time it seemed like she was worrying over nothing.

I let the matter drop instead of pressing her on it, moving her farther down the edge of the river before undressing. Eventually she followed me into the water, less concerned with her nudity than she had been the prior evening, although her cheeks still held a flush when she caught me looking. I didn’t try to hide my interest, although I kept my kethra under control. I didn’t need to advertise to the other Morrak that the omega was of value to me.

The current flowed around our legs as we washed the day’s sweat and sand from our flesh. It was warm and comfortable, although the air was a bit cool when I was accustomed to warmer temperatures.

We were almost done bathing when I noticed Elaina wasn't looking around or asking questions as had become normal for her. She stood close by, quiet, focused on cleansing her hair.

It might have concerned me if I hadn’t seen her concentration as proof that she had come to trust me to look out for her wellbeing. She didn’t need to keep watch when I was there.

I was still congratulating myself on the accomplishment when she leaned back to rinse her hair and lost her footing. One moment she stood beside me, and the next she vanished beneath the surface with a gasp that had my heart stopping.

The current caught her and was trying to pull her away before I could react. It wasn’t fast in this portion of the river, but it was strong enough that she was out of reach in a blink.

Sudden fear exploded through me, my kethra flaring so bright they sparkled through the water and lit her form as she reached towards me. I moved before I was conscious of the decision, lunging forward and clamping my hand around her wrist.

A single tug had her body flush with mine as she coughed up a mouthful of water. She was in my arms, and I was striding up the slope towards our things before she finished sputtering and was able to protest.

“I’m fine, I just slipped.”

I frowned down at her, my kethra still brighter than they should be as my tail lashed behind me. Hers were just as bright, but it no longer mattered what others thought if they saw the display.

“You almost drowned.”

She scoffed which led to more coughing.

“I did not.”

The denial would have been amusing if my heart wasn’t still trying to slam through my ribs. There was an ache in the middle of my abdomen, but I didn’t have time to think about myself.

“You need a kethral.”

I didn’t want to release her, but she was dripping and starting to shiver in the cool air. I needed to get her dry and safe.

Nothing else mattered.

I placed her on her feet but kept hold of her with one hand as I reached for a drying cloth. I rubbed her skin brusquely, too focused on the task to appreciate the first chance I’d had to touch her while we were both conscious.

“I don’t. I promise I’m fine, I was only startled. I can swim fine.”

My eyes narrowed as I tossed the cloth aside and swung a robe around her. Few Morraki could claim to swim well enough to resist the current, but Humans had more of an affinity for water than we did. It was possible she was being truthful.

Heaving a sigh, I lifted her again.

“Drazien!”

“You will allow me to carry you, or I will take you to a kethral.”

My words made her freeze before she gave up her struggles. Going limp, her head was resting against my shoulder before I made it to the stairs, and her eyes were half shut by the time we passed the Market entrance.

Her breathing slowed as I continued to climb, regretting my home being on the High Level for the first time since I’d been promoted and able to reside there.

As her heartrate slowed along with her breathing, I finally understood I’d been misinterpreting her actions. It had been exhaustion, not comfort or trust. She hadn’t had the energy to hide herself or resist.

The realization brought a surprising amount of guilt. I should have noticed sooner and ended the outing earlier. I should have listened when she complained and realized what the cause was.

The guilt brought irritation with it. Mostly because I knew I was to blame, and yet how was I supposed to have known?

Elaina made a small sound that tightened something inside my chest. I adjusted my hold, clutching her closer. The mission, the rebels, all faded into the background. For the first time since announcing my plan to Rhydek, protecting Elaina felt far more important than using her as bait.

Chapter Fourteen

Elaina

I woke when Drazien tried to put me in his bed. My foggy mind was too tired to realize what I was doing as I clung to his neck, whimpers spilling from my throat. He murmured something in Morraki I wasn’t conscious enough to translate, and then we were both horizontal, his body covering mine.

The warmth of him and the firm press of his weight over me calmed something, and I slid my hands around to tangle my fingers in the loose hair usually worn in a tight braid. I’d tugged his mouth to mine before I was aware enough to think about the consequences, and by the time sleep cleared from my mind, it was too late.

Drazien’s lips parted at the touch of my tongue, and I pushed into his mouth. The bumpy surface of his startled me enough to make me start pulling away, but Drazien didn’t allow it, using both hands to hold my head in place as he mimicked what I’d done to him.

Any protests I might have come up with were lost as his tongue stroked mine with a skill that had my core clenching. There had been a section in the packet on the Morrak that mentioned Morraki didn’t kiss, and that I’d have to teach the alpha who chose me, but Drazien made that seem like a lie.

I couldn’t help spreading my thighs to cradle his bulk, my fingers still tangled in his hair. When he moved his hands down my sides to squeeze my breasts through the robe, I moaned into his mouth.

He swallowed the sound with a groan of his own, rocking his hips so I couldn’t miss the thick hardness trapped between us. The thin silk of the robe did nothing to stop it from sliding through the valley at the apex of my thighs, the bumps along the bottom of the shaft flicking my clit and making my legs tighten around him.

I’d been on the verge of giving in to curiosity already, and with him kissing me the way he was, the ledge I’d been standing on crumbled. The pitiful wall I’d tried to erect between us with my plans to leave dissolved, and I arched my back when his hands shifted to pull the robe open and expose my breasts.

I went from holding his head in place to pushing it down, little whines I’d never made before filling the room until he got the hint and latched his lips around one nipple. A low growl competed with my noises, making his chest vibrate against me.

I loved having his mouth on my breasts, but he’d had to shift his entire body to reach, which meant I could no longer feel his erection rubbing against me. My hips rocked, seeking friction, but couldn’t find what I needed.

I wasn’t left wanting for long. I was so lost in what his hands and mouth were doing to my chest that I barely noticed his tail against me until it slid up to rub through the wetness coating my folds.

My breath caught in my throat, my hips bucking as I automatically sought more pressure. The part of me that might have been more reserved was still sleeping, and the primal side the injection had brought forward was in control.

That was what I was going to blame anyway, because the quiet Elaina who sat forgotten at her desk everyday wouldn’t have let an alien fuck her with his tail, no matter how good his mouth felt on me.

Drazien switched to my other breast as his tail pushed through my opening, and all I could do was gasp as I tossed my head back. His tail was as thick as any toy I’d ever used, and thicker than some of the men. Especially where the arrow-shaped tip was widest.

“Shae’ryn’ari. Vorran rhekk. Zulkar vrok.”

I didn’t know the words he was using but the way he said them told me they were dirty. Something about him talking to me in another language between sucking and biting my flesh had even more slick seeping from me to coat his tail as it thrust deeper.

“You are mine, Elaina. I must stretch you for my vorran and zulkar.”

With a bit more focus I might have been able to figure out the meaning of the new words, but between his tail and his mouth, I was too distracted. One hand kneaded my breast, the tips of his claws pricking my skin as he scraped his teeth over the other nipple. The sting wound the tension in my belly tighter, leaving me too breathless to even moan when his other hand slipped down my belly so he could press his thumb over my clit.

“Drazien!”

His name broke as it ripped from my throat, and his growl added to the sensations overwhelming me. The vibration of it traveled through where we pressed together and tipped me over the edge into release, my core clamping around his tail.

I gasped and writhed as he kept rubbing my little nub. His tail had slowed but remained inside me, and he released my breasts to move up and claim my mouth again.

The need to breathe no longer mattered.

My head spun, nerves sparking with pleasure. His hands kept moving over my body, squeezing my flesh, and I could feel his erection digging into my thigh, but the orgasm stole the little energy I’d regained from my nap as he carried me to his home.

I didn't realize I was going to fall asleep again until I woke, sweating from the heat of Drazien draped over me. Guilt hit me a moment later, freezing me in place so I didn't accidentally wake him and have to face the awkwardness that was sure to come.

The memories were scattered fragments. Tangled sensations and brief glimpses of dark skin, flashing deep blue eyes, and glowing kethra. His kisses, the warmth of him, and the way I'd reached for him without thinking.

My cheeks burned and my kethra glowed so bright, they lit the room.

Holding my breath, I turned my head. Drazien still slept, his breathing slow and even, one heavy arm across my waist and his tail wrapped around my thigh. It wasn’t until then that I noticed it was still inside me.

The burn in my cheeks flared into flames and I barely stifled something that was half groan, half strangled whine.

Carefully, I tried to lift his arm, but it didn't budge. I tried again, but it was almost as thick as my thigh, and too heavy for me to move with only one arm.

Frowning, I tried to think of a way to wriggle out from under it, but there was no way without waking him.

Glancing over my shoulder once more, I found one deep blue eye stared back.

“How long do you intend to attempt escaping?”

For a moment I was too stunned to respond, mouth hanging open, but when his gaze moved to it my jaw snapped shut.

“If you were awake, you could have released me. And—”

I had to stop to swallow the lump of embarrassment stuck in my throat.

“And you could have removed your tail.”

Those sinful lips stretched into a grin, and he rolled back enough that I didn’t have to crane my neck so far to see him.

“You expect me to remove a limb for you? I suppose I could… but then I wouldn’t be able to use it to pleasure you again.”

His words and grin were the only warning I had before he thrust his tail within me. A gasp ripped free, my core shuddering and clenching as fresh slick leaked onto my thighs.

“Drazien!”

“Mmm, yes. I enjoy you saying my name like that.”

I clutched the arm around my waist, unable to move without it seeming as if I was encouraging him to thrust more.

And the bad part was, I wanted him to.

“I… We… I—I need to get up.”

He was practically purring against my spine, his breath gusting over my neck and making me intensely aware of how close those fangs he liked to show off were to my vulnerable neck. The way I understood it, a bite only created a bond if it happened during the omega’s heat, but I wasn’t sure it was worth the risk.

“So, get up.”

I dug my nails into his arm, a growl rumbling within my own chest, but it only made his purr deepen, and he ground his erection against my ass while moving his tail.

“Drazien!”

He sighed as if I was the one being ridiculous, but after a moment more, his tail finally left my channel. I grimaced at the wet streak it smeared across my thigh, and the moment he lifted his arm, I rolled from the bed, tugging the robe I still wore closed as I stood.

His brow was arched when I turned to face him, my cheeks still burning with all the things going through my head, and thankfully he spoke before I had to.

“You continue to hide beneath cloth.”

I looked down at the thin robe. It did little to hide anything, my peaked nipples poking through the fabric, but I still felt better with it than without.

“It is how I’ve been conditioned to behave.”

His head cocked as if he was considering the argument but didn’t find it satisfactory.

“I saw you nude when you bathed, how is this different?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. He had a point, but I didn’t care.

“It just is.”

His brow rose higher, but I refused to back down. I was flustered enough without strutting around naked.

“I will never understand this.”

I shrugged and put my back to him, heading for the door. My things were still piled in the main room, and I was glad we had been gone too much for him to have expected me to unpack.

“Probably not.”

I called the answer over my shoulder, but I didn’t miss his snort of amusement. It should have annoyed me, but I found myself resisting an answering smile.

I busied myself trying to find a clean pair of clothes, but I’d never had many civilian outfits, and I’d worn everything that wasn’t a PT uniform, which I didn’t think would be appropriate even if it would have been more comfortable in the heat.

Behind me, I sensed Drazien approach, but I straightened before he could sneak too close. When I looked, he had green fabric draped over his hand, and I recognized one of the outfits he’d bought me when we went to the Market the first time.

“Dress so I may feed you.”

My eyes narrowed on their own and I knew I was glaring at him again.

“I can feed myself.”

His expression was serious when he straightened to his full height, towering over my five foot four frame.

“It is my duty to ensure my omega is fed, and I intend to perform that duty to the fullest of my ability.”

I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh, but my stomach chose that moment to betray me with a growl. His lips twitched as he relaxed into the casual stance he usually took, and I shook my head as I snatched the dress from him.

“You are impossible.”

His huff followed me back into the bedroom, but I hit the pad to shut the door before he could follow too.

Breakfast consisted of more unfamiliar foods and another language lesson in the Cavern Markets. Apparently, Drazien had decided those two activities naturally belonged together.

He also apparently never cooked, since we always went to the Market to eat. I wasn’t sure if he didn’t know how or didn’t care to.

We sat at another small, half-hidden table, and he pointed toward a bowl, brow raised as he waited for me to give him the word for it.

“Sahlak.”

He nodded.

“Good. Now this.”

The water jug he’d brought to the table. He had explained before that there was significance in offering someone water from your own container, but he only wanted the word.

“Korhven.”

He dipped his chin again, then poured some into a cup. He wouldn’t relent over feeding me himself, but I’d convinced him to at least give me my own cup.

When I said something wrong he repeated the word, correcting my pronunciation until I got it right. Finally, he leaned back in his seat, a small smile on his mouth that looked too good on him.

“You’re getting better already.”

Warmth bloomed in my chest, but I turned away from him, rolling my eyes and scoffing as I copied his pose.

“Such high praise.”

I caught the flash of his fangs from the corner of my eye, and it sent a shiver down my spine. I could still feel the ghost of them scraping across my nipple.

“It was adequate.”

It was impossible not to grin, but he pretended not to notice, standing and gathering our garbage. He refused to let me help, repeating it was his job to care for me, but I didn’t see how that meant I couldn’t even throw my own trash away.

Still, it was nice to have someone taking care of me for once. I was so used to doing everything on my own that I didn’t realize what a relief it was when I didn’t have to.

We headed back to the Archives to continue my language lessons. The scrolls drew me in as completely as they had the day before, and the hours seemed to disappear. Every new word led to another question, every answer revealing three more words I wanted to understand.

I stopped relying on Drazien to translate and started looking for familiar roots. Morraki didn’t follow the same rules as English, but it was similar enough to other languages I’d learned that I was picking it up at a faster rate with each new word I learned.

Rhae. All.

Eth. Soul.

Ari. Small.

There were alternate meanings, of course.

Rhae was also everything.

Ari was also new.

Once I understood the pieces though, entire phrases began making sense. Some were still confusing, but I was able to start guessing meanings and seeing the patterns.

“You're smiling.”

I looked up, brows lowering as I met Drazien’s gaze. His head was cocked the way he did when he was studying something, but his typical smirk had softened.

“What?”

“You smile when you figure out a new word on your own.”

I fought the little thrill that ran through me. I had always enjoyed learning, and languages made sense to me the way numbers made sense to other people, but it was disconcerting that Drazien had noticed.

“I do not.”

His lips twitched, eyes narrowing.

“You do.”

He was standing, leaning against one of the shelves. He couldn’t seem to sit for long periods, always needing to move and look around.

“You also wrinkle your nose when you run into something new that you don’t understand yet.”

My breath caught and I had to fight not to let panic show on my face. I hadn't realized he was paying that much attention.

“You know, stalking is illegal.”

His grin broadened, and for a moment I thought I saw his kethra flash. He’d explained that keeping them under control was something all Morraki learned as children, and letting them flash made others think you were undisciplined. I’d seen it happen here and there in the Market when shoppers haggled with the vendors, but Drazien’s always seemed to be a cool violet. Mine were pale enough that the silvery glow seemed more like a reflection of light unless they grew truly bright.

“Not here.”

I huffed at his response before turning back to the text. I didn’t understand how someone could be so infuriating and fascinating at the same time, but I wanted to study him almost as much as the text in front of me.

Which was bad.

“Your grammar is different, but…”

“You’re learning the structure.”

I startled when his voice came from behind me instead of from where he’d been before. There were times when he moved with a silence that made my skin crawl, and I was growing more certain he was the equivalent of a Morraki espionage agent.

“You aren't simply translating roots anymore, you've figured out how the pieces fit together. Morraki has few grammar rules.”

I realized I was grinning again, but I couldn’t help it. It was validating to have someone who saw what I was doing instead of looking right through me as if I wasn’t there until I was needed. I wasn’t used to people paying that kind of attention to me.

This felt like solving a living puzzle, and I was hooked, but the way Drazien seemed to understand me was almost as addictive.

Swallowing hard, I reached for another scroll, but Drazien pulled it from my reach before my fingers made contact. Frowning up at him, the expression on his face had a spark of dread building in my stomach.

“We're leaving.”

My mouth popped open, the protest automatic.

“What? Why?”

He straightened and held his hand out for me to take, the gesture familiar after so many times.

“You've been sitting too long.”

“But—”

“Half the day is gone.”

I blinked, closing my jaw as I looked for a window. It was still strange to be underground and not know what time it was, but we couldn’t have been in the Archives that long.

I finally remembered to look up toward the crystals overhead. They glowed a brilliant red, meaning Vorrashan had to be high in the sky, instead of the pale pink of dawn.

“Oh.”

He snorted, raising a brow as he flicked his fingers.

“I didn't notice.”

He shook his head, saying, “I know,” as I placed my hand in his.

He pulled me up and my legs protested, making me wince. They were stiff from sitting for so long after climbing more stairs in two days than I usually did in a month.

Drazien noticed, his own lips tipping down as his gaze raked along my body. It usually made me self-conscious to be openly assessed, but it clearly wasn’t sexual or judgmental.

“You've been ignoring your body.”

It was something one of the drill sergeants would have said, and the resentment was automatic.

“I was studying.”

He leveled me with a look that had chagrin replacing the resentment, because I knew he was right.

“You forget your body needs exercise as much as your mind.”

Turning my head away, I let him lead me from the Archives as I muttered, “It’s hard to move and study at the same time.”

When I glanced at him again the spark in his eyes had dread forming in my stomach. He had something planned, and I didn’t think I was going to like it as much as the other experiences I’d had on Morrakan.

“Where are we going?”

He didn't answer, but his lips spread. The grin held none of the teasing I’d come to expect from him, the menace making my gut clench.

“You seem to forget your surroundings.”

Unsure what he meant, I glanced around before narrowing my eyes at him.

“I was focused.”

Some of his grin melted away as he shook his head.

“You were vulnerable.”

The quiet seriousness in his voice made me pause. We were moving towards the ravine, and the sounds of Korvashan drifted through the corridor, reminding me there was more than tons of stone around me. There was an entire city, filled with aliens who were larger and stronger than me.

For the first time since arriving, I wondered how Humans would have treated Drazien if our roles were reversed and he’d been forced to move to Earth. We liked to think we had moved past our history of prejudice, but the truth lurked in the shadows.

“It’s time you learned something more important than words.”

I focused on Drazien once more, trying to figure out what could possibly be more important than being able to communicate.

“And what's that?”

The corner of his mouth lifted once more, and he squeezed my hand as he pulled me around a corner into a room I’d never seen before.

“How to survive.”

Chapter Fifteen

Elaina

The room Drazien led me into wasn't nearly large enough to hold the army I knew the Morrak had, but it was still bigger than most gymnasiums back on Earth. Thick sand covered the stone floor, circles of stones painted in dark crimson separating it into rings. Weapon racks lined one wall, while the opposite had shelves covered in water containers and folded towels.

I stopped inside the doorway, heart dropping. If this new life I was pretending to begin held anything over my old one, it had been the lack of PT days, but it seemed Drazien was ruining that.

“I thought you were going to teach me to survive, not torture me.”

His brow arched and his lips twitched, but for the most part, he looked serious.

“Well, if I were teaching you to survive torture…”

My eyes narrowed and I glanced toward the racks of blades.

“It might end with me impaling someone.”

The grin on his face was predatory when he spun me and flattened me against his body. My breath caught as I felt him lean down, his hot breath on my neck sending goosebumps down my arms.

“Or, perhaps I’ll be the one impaling you.”

My core clenched and I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry as all the moisture in my body flooded south.

“I would prefer to spend my afternoon in a way that doesn’t involve stabbing.”

His grin spread but when I tried to pull away, he released me without a fight.

“You are a Human. You are small and weak. Stabbing may be the only way to survive.”

I folded my arms over my chest, pretending to be offended while really attempting to keep my nipples from ripping through my top.

“That wasn't very diplomatic.”

He shrugged.

“It was accurate.”

Rolling my eyes, I walked farther into the room. There were a pair of Morraki wrestling in one of the closer rings, and a single one practicing with some kind of double-ended spear in another, but the cavern was mostly empty.

“So, what's first?”

He pointed toward one of the rings near the wall, far enough in that I might have a chance of not drawing attention. I doubted it, but I clung to the hope.

“Stand.”

“I’m already standing,” I muttered as I moved toward the ring he’d indicated, but I’d forgotten how good Morraki hearing was. A moment later something whacked me across the ass, and my mouth popped open as I stumbled to a stop and stared at Drazien.

“Not well.”

Snapping my mouth shut, I stomped toward the circle, planting myself directly in the middle. The sand made it less dramatic and prevented the satisfaction I should have felt when I faced him.

Hand to hand combat had been required training, so I knew a few things, but I’d been sorely disappointed when I’d thought my weight would give me an advantage during training. Girls half my size had put me on my ass, and I resigned myself to being covered in sand shortly.

I kept my eyes on Drazien as he circled me. While my instructors had always tried to conceal their contempt, they hadn’t done a good job of it, but I didn’t see anything like that on Drazien’s face. He was studying me with a detached expression someone might use to check a weapon.

Because that was what the Morrak believed the body was.

I resisted the urge to turn with him, remaining planted in the sand and only following him with my eyes. I’d been assessed enough times to know the drill. I might end up sucking at whatever he asked me to do, but I could at least follow orders.

“You place your weight on your heels.”

I nodded, remembering another instructor had said the same. Bending my knees, I tried to shift my weight forward, although the sand made it harder.

He tipped his head before shaking it.

“You made it worse. You have no balance.”

Forcing myself to take a breath before I responded, I tried to remember he was different. Perhaps he didn’t know Human anatomy well enough to understand how we worked.

“I've been standing for thirty-four years. I think I can balance.”

His scoff came just before his tail thwacked me again. Throwing my arms out, I had to step forward to keep from falling on my face.

“You have remained upright. There is a difference.”

I glared, but before I could argue, his hands settled on my hips.

“Shift. Carry your weight like this.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks as he tilted my hips and pushed until I was standing the way he wanted. Somehow, I felt the difference, and the lower back pain I lived with eased.

His touch on my hips wasn't intimate, but it reminded me of what had happened the night before, and what I’d been wanting him to do before I passed out. The desire mingled with embarrassment in a confusing muddle.

Once I had my balance, he nudged one hip while his tail tapped the back of my knee.

“Bend.”

I obeyed automatically, and it was impossible to miss the satisfied little smirk on his face before he pulled away.

“Better.”

I rocked my weight from side to side then up onto my toes. I hated to admit I felt more stable.

“I dislike how often you're right.”

His laugh caught the attention of the others nearby, making my cheeks burn hotter as I imagined what they had to think of a Human woman in their midst. They all had to assume I was going to fail.

“But I enjoy hearing you say I’m right.”

The urge to flip him off was hard to resist, but I doubted he would understand the gesture or the sentiment behind it.

“I didn't say that.”

He strode closer once more, invading my space, filling my lungs with the scent of him instead of the hot sand.

“You implied it.”

The words were almost a purr, and I tried to hide my shiver. My entire body was focused on him, waiting for something, until he took a step back.

“Strike.”

“What?”

The abrupt change confused me for a moment, and I frowned up at the hulking alien staring down at me. He might not have been the biggest Morrak I had seen, but he was larger than any Human.

“Strike me.”

Laughing, I put my hands on my hips and shook my head.

“I am not punching a three-hundred pound alien.”

He raised a brow.

“You will not hurt me.”

It was my turn to arch a brow at him even though I was well aware I had no chance of doing any kind of damage to him.

“You sound very confident of that.”

His lips stretched into that dangerous grin.

“I am.”

His confidence alone was irritating enough to make me want to give in and swing, and I knew he wasn’t going to let it drop until I complied. In the spirit of getting it over with, I aimed for his shoulder, but he caught my wrist before I even realized he’d moved.

“I saw that coming.”

It was impossible not to scowl. I had enough pride to want to be good at the things I did, but fighting was not in that category.

“Clearly.”

He released my wrist and nodded, saying, “Again.”

Heaving a sigh, I tried to remember the lessons I’d received in hand to hand, but the next block was just as effortless for him.

So was the next.

By the sixth I was breathing harder and really wanted to hit him. Just once. And while he thankfully wasn’t smirking at me, the look of calm detachment was too close to boredom.

“I think I might hate you.”

He huffed and released my wrist once more.

“No, you just hate losing.”

The old saying, “If looks could kill…”, definitely applied to the one I gave him.

“I can multitask.”

His lips twitched but when a growl vibrated up my throat his expression settled into neutral once more.

“Again.”

Groaning, I settled my weight, balled my fists, and started to swing. Halfway through the strike I realized he expected the same attack I’d used every other time, so I redirected toward his ribs.

His brows rose even though he blocked me with just as little effort as every other time.

“Being able to change targets is good, but only if they don’t see you do it.”

Whining, I let my arms drop to my sides, shoulders sagging.

“I’m not good at this. I never will be.”

He closed the space between us and took hold of my chin, leaning down so he was almost close enough to kiss.

“It is my job to protect you. It’s your job to survive long enough for me to do so. No matter what enemy you face.”

There was a niggling sensation in the back of my mind, a suspicion that he was doing this for a reason, but his lips were on mine the next moment and all thoughts disappeared until he released me and stepped back once more.

With another sigh, I settled into my stance, listening as he corrected me. For the next hour he dismantled every rule I’d ever been taught about fighting. He cared nothing for propriety, nothing for appearance, only survival.

“If someone larger grabs your wrist,” he said, wrapping his fingers around mine, “do not pull away.”

I frowned as I stared at his fingers.

“Why not?”

“You are weak.”

When I glared at him his grin was almost enough to make me forget how hot and sweaty I was.

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“You will lose against a Morraki.”

Rolling my eyes, I resisted the urge to jerk away and demand what the point was to all this then.

“I knew that already.”

He ignored the interruption and continued.

“Move toward me.”

“That sounds backward.”

His fangs flashed.

“It is unexpected.”

Reluctantly, I stepped closer. He shifted my elbow, turned my shoulders, and pressed two fingers against my forearm until I was positioned the way he wanted.

“Now.”

I twisted and his grip broke. I blinked at my wrist then up at him.

“That actually worked.”

Huffing, he nodded.

“It always works.”

I paused, eyes narrowing before I crossed my arms over my chest and shook my head.

“It only worked because you let go.”

His brow arched and he almost looked offended.

“I did not.”

“You wanted me to succeed, so you let go.”

It was his turn to cross his arms. It was far more intimidating when he did it.

“I wanted you to learn. You won’t if I coddle you and pretend you did it on your own. That will only get you hurt.”

His explanation silenced me. He hadn’t been trying to prove how weak I was, he was trying to teach me not to be overpowered.

The difference changed something. The military had a single standard, and you either lived up to it or failed, but if he could teach me to do what I was able instead of pushing me towards something beyond my reach, perhaps it was worth the sweat and irritation.

“Again.”

My demand earned a small nod and a smile of approval before he dropped back into teacher mode.

We continued. He invaded my space until all I could see and smell was him. Each correction meant another touch that left a lingering sensation.

A hand against my shoulder.

His tail at my waist.

His fingers around my wrist.

Every adjustment was brief, necessary, and would have been deemed professional back home. That didn't stop my pulse from speeding whenever he stepped into my space, or stop me from noticing the way his gaze dragged over my body.

Eventually he wanted to demonstrate how to escape someone trying to pin me.

“I will move slowly.”

I was heaving for breath, sweat trickling down my spine and soaked into the new dress I still wore. Sand clung to me in multiple places, and I hated to think of the state my hair had to be in.

“You promise?”

A quick flash of fangs was all the warning I got before a quiet, “No,” reached me a heartbeat before he did. He caught my wrists and held them in one hand, taking hold of my braid with the other. He held firm without causing pain, a fine line too many prior instructors had failed to walk, but I didn’t have time to think about that.

Instinctively I struggled, but he didn't move.

“Do not struggle against greater strength, it only wastes your energy.”

Grimacing, I forced myself not to yank my arms the way I wanted to.

“I'm open to suggestions.”

He leaned closer, filling my lungs with the familiar scent that was uniquely his. Rain on a hot day, with a hint of charcoal. It almost made me long for home.

“Think, rethari.”

His voice dropped, sparking awareness where we touched, but I forced myself to focus. I was shorter than him, and while my weight had yet to be much of an advantage, I knew it was possible to use it.

I acted like I was going to drop to my knees and Drazien’s balance shifted forward in anticipation. Without overthinking it, I lunged sideways instead of letting my knees hit the sand, twisting my arms the way he’d taught me.

Suddenly I stood behind him, free.

At least, for a moment.

Then his tail latched around my calf, and I glared down at the offending appendage as he turned to face me.

“That’s cheating.”

Approval gleamed in his eyes as he threw his head back and let out a bark of laughter. It made me want to grin even though I had a twinge in my side that made it hard to breathe.

“You surprised me, rethari.”

My chest inflated with something that made it feel as if I could float, and I had to bite my lip to keep from grinning like a fool.

“Really?”

He nodded and reached for me, brushing stray curls back from my face as his fingers trailed across my cheek.

“You stopped thinking like prey.”

My head spun and for a moment I thought I might pass out. I wasn’t sure if it was the heat or the praise, but either way, I would have ended up looking ridiculous instead of triumphant if I face-planted in the sand. It didn’t seem like Drazien gave praise lightly, which made it more valuable.

“You used your mind.”

He tapped one finger lightly against my forehead, the feel of his claw somehow sending pricks of ice through my flesh.

“That is more dangerous than strength alone.”

Something fluttered low in my belly. His hand lingered a fraction too long before dropping away, and for the first time all afternoon, Drazien seemed distracted.

His gaze drifted over my face before settling on my lips. It was only for an instant, but it was long enough that I noticed.

Long enough that my breath caught and both of us seemed frozen.

The training room suddenly felt much smaller than before, and far too crowded for the things I was thinking about. Licking my lips, I swallowed and forced myself to speak before I did something far more stupid.

“I think...”

Those dark eyes that were almost black lifted to meet mine again, the slit pupils wider than usual.

“What is it, rethari?”

“I think, this time, we both stink.”

His lips twitched and his nostrils flared, but a heartbeat passed without him moving.

Then another.

Neither of us dropped our gaze or backed away until Drazien finally gave a short nod.

“Then training is finished for today.”

I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, barely fighting back a groan at the thought of the promise in the last word.

“That's probably for the best. I think my muscles have turned to mush.”

He grinned before moving so fast I didn’t have time to protest before I was in his arms.

“Then I shall carry you to your bath, like a proper, spoiled omega.”

Chapter Sixteen

Drazien

The scent of her so close to my nose had my shaft throbbing within the confines of my pants. My tail was stiff behind me, making it awkward to descend the stairs, but it was the only way to keep it from lashing or trying to return to her wet center.

She might want me to think the dampness of her clothing was simply sweat, but I could smell the slick.

I hardly paid attention to anyone we passed. A snarl got them out of the way, and it didn’t take long to reach the dim coolness of the River Caverns.

Elaina had protested when I first lifted her but settled once I swatted her on the ass. I didn’t miss the little tremors that made her muscles twitch. It was possible I’d pushed her too hard, but she’d done so well at the end, and I didn’t know Human endurance well enough to judge.

“Warm soak, or cool wash?”

She seemed a little dazed when her eyes met mine, and it took her a moment to respond.

“Soak.”

I hated having to ask, but I had to trust her to know her body and what was best.

I headed for the soaking pools, grateful there weren’t many in them when we rounded the wide column that separated it from the main river. One pool held a group of warriors, and another had an older Morraki sitting along the edge, but there were several empty pools to choose from.

The farthest one was the most secluded, so I carried Elaina to it before placing her on her feet. I was reluctant to let her go, eager to touch her the way I had the previous night, but I knew the presence of others would make her hesitant.

I made sure she had her balance before reaching for the hem of her outfit, but she swatted my hands.

“I’m not that tired. I can undress myself.”

I arched a brow at her scowl, resisting the urge to growl at her denying me the right.

“It’s my duty to take care of you.”

Her eyes narrowed and she moved away from me before bending to remove the bulky footwear she called boots. They were nothing like my boots, but Humans always seemed to claim things were one thing when they weren’t.

“Well, I can handle this duty myself.”

My lips pulled back before I could stop them, a brief flash of my kethra showing how she cracked my careful control. All I wanted to do was help her, but if I wasn’t teaching her Morraki or how to fight, she resisted.

Lips twisting into a grin as an idea formed, I kicked off my boots and pulled my shirt over my head. I hadn’t worn my korrvek, so it was mere heartbeats before I was bare.

Elaina had turned away to undress, and the moment she placed her things in the cubby and went to head for the water, I was standing behind her.

“Holy shit! What are you—”

My tail wrapped around the back of her thigh, dipping between her legs to pull her to me as I reached for her wrist. She was too surprised to resist, and her fingers clenched automatically when I placed her hand against my shaft.

Her eyes went wide and her lips parted, but she didn’t try to pull away.

“Vorran.”

Wrapping my hand over hers, I was tempted to make her stroke me, but I was trying to make this a lesson, so I pulled her hand up to grip only the tip.

“Vralekh.”

She blinked, her throat working as I slid her hand back down to the base of my shaft. My knot wasn’t inflated, but there was a bulge at the sides of my shaft where it would expand to lock inside her.

“Zulkar.”

I had to fight the urge to groan at the feel of her soft flesh against me. Her skin was so different than mine, her touch so cool compared to my warmth, and I wanted to rub my body all over her.

Moving her hand below my knot and to one side, I pressed her fingers into the spongy tissue there.

“Dren’kar.”

I moved her hand to the one on the other side before pulling it away from me. It was a struggle to keep going, to continue pretending this was a lesson, but if teaching her kept her from fighting me, I’d use it to get what I wanted.

Turning our hands, I pressed them to her mound then slid them downward. Elaina’s breathing hitched, another little gasp leaving her as our fingers pushed between her legs.

“Shae’ryn.”

I increased the pressure, knowing it would feel good for her as I rocked our hands backwards before delving between her lower lips. She trembled as her wetness coated our fingers and I moved them until both of our middle ones pressed over her little bundle of nerves.

“Zhenel.”

I gave it another pass to watch the way she flushed before pushing farther and dipping our middle fingers into her opening. Her slick coated us as I thrust them deeper, and she bent forward with a gasp, leaning on my arm as her body refused to keep her upright any longer.

I had to be careful of my claws inside her, keeping the tips safely against her nails as I made her stroke her inner walls. Whimpers escaped her with each breath, and her other hand clung to my bicep, nails digging into the muscle as her channel clenched around the fingers stretching it open.

“Vel’thara.”

I breathed the word into her ear, my voice vibrating with the need to growl. My tail and now my fingers had been inside her, and my shaft ached with the desire to fill her as well.

Pumping our fingers, I ground her palm against the little bud that gave her pleasure. Her breathing grew stuttered and she rose up on her toes, trying to escape the pressure, but watching her orgasm the night before had made me crave seeing her fall apart like that.

“Now give me your sehl’ar, rethari. I want your pleasure.”

I held her close with my other hand on her back, her heart hammering against it despite the ribs meant to protect it. She tried to resist, pushing on my arm as if she wanted me to pull away, but the hand beneath mine continued to thrust and stroke as she gasped against my chest.

“Dra—zien.”

My knot threatened to swell when she said my name, broken between desperate gulps of air.

“I… Oh.”

She couldn’t finish what she was saying because her release ripped her voice away. Slick filled my palm and then splattered to the stone beneath us, her channel milking our fingers in demanding ripples.

I slowed our movements as she shuddered in my arms, my knot throbbing with each of her little gasps. I was leaking, ready to fill her with my seed, mouth watering for a taste of her, but she needed a moment to recover.

She seemed unsteady when I finally withdrew our fingers from her core, blinking up at me with blurry eyes. I kept my other arm and tail wrapped around her as I raised the hand covered in slick to my mouth, tongue extending to lap her release from my palm before I pushed the finger that had been inside her into my mouth.

Her eyes widened, focus sharpening as I sucked it clean, licking between each finger to be sure I didn’t miss a drop. Her breathing had been slowing, but it increased again as her lips popped open and she released a barely audible whine.

Grinning, I licked my hand again, and she focused on my tongue. Where hers was short and almost as smooth as the rest of her flesh, mine was long, and ridged the way my shaft was, with a partially forked tip.

“Your zharin is as delicious as I’d imagined. I think I might need more.”

Her expression changed to one of almost panic as I dropped to my knees before her. Her glance over my head told me what the problem was, but none of my people would care if I pleasured my omega. The only issue might be if the other alphas were too drawn to her scent, but they knew who I was, and should know to stay away.

“Drazien.”

Ignoring her whispered demand for my attention, I took hold of her thighs, lifting one to place over my shoulder. Elaina tried to resist, but the motion threw off her balance, and she was forced to brace herself on my shoulders.

“Let me taste you, rethari.”

She started to protest again but it was lost in a gasp as my tongue swiped between her lower lips. Her slick coated my tongue, musky, sweet, and addictive.

A growl escaped me as I cupped her plush ass and pulled her tighter to my face, thrusting my tongue further through her folds to lick at her entrance. She was dripping slick, and I didn’t plan to stop until I made her shatter on my tongue as well.

“Dray—”

She cut off with a stuttered moan as I plunged my tongue inside her, dragging the ridges over her nub when I pulled out before shoving it in again. The flavor of her filled my mouth, and I swallowed every drop of slick she made for me.

“Fuckit.”

I didn’t know what her whisper meant, but her hips started to move with me, rocking to the rhythm I chose. When her hand shifted to grasp one of the ridges on my scalp and pull me into her, I almost shamed myself and wasted my seed on the stone, and my growl grew into a snarl.

“Oh, please, don’t…”

I had no idea what she was trying to tell me not to do, but with the way she ground herself against my face and pulled on my ridge, I knew she didn’t want me to stop. Wrapping my tail tighter around her, I kept using my tongue on her as I rubbed the tip of my tail through the slick smeared around her opening before moving it to her other hole.

Elaina gasped and stiffened, but a gush of slick betrayed how her body enjoyed the sensation, even if her mind wanted to deny it. I’d been warned that Humans viewed certain things differently than we did, calling some things dirty or wrong, but there was no harm in enjoying physical pleasure.

She slowly relaxed as I continued lapping up her slick and increasing the pressure on her back hole. When I breached the tight ring of muscle, she let out a cry that echoed around us, her channel clenching on my tongue as another release washed through her.

I had never been sure the bond between an alpha and omega was true, but I’d never wanted it more than in that moment. My jaw ached with the desire to bite into her flesh and mark her as mine, even if the claim wouldn’t stick until she was deep in heat.

Pulling my tail from her, I slowed my tongue, lapping up the fresh slick with slow strokes instead of the quick plunges I’d used before. When her leg gave out and she started to lean, I let her thigh slip from my shoulder and swept her into my arms as I stood.

For once my rethari didn’t protest as I carried her into the hot spring. There was a ledge beneath the surface to rest on, but she was too short for her head to remain above the surface if I sat her there, so I settled on the stone shelf and arranged her in my lap, back against my chest, my hands over her belly to keep her against me.

My shaft still throbbed with need, trapped between the globes of her ass, but I let her rest against me as her breathing slowed towards normal once more. I fully expected her to drift off like she had the previous night, but she surprised me when she twisted in my arms, staring into my eyes as she settled a knee on each side of my hips.

“It’s not fair that you’ve given me so many orgasms, but haven’t had any relief.”

My lips lifted, shaft twitching in agreement as I decided to challenge the little female I’d chosen.

“Then even the score.”

Her eyes narrowed, making my grin broaden. I’d realized Elaina was competitive, which was a bonus for me. I wasn’t going to complain if she thought she owed me a few sexual favors.

She took hold of me below the water without dropping her gaze, and it was a struggle to hide how it affected me. I couldn’t hold back my growl, but I managed not to show the way my heart stumbled and then began to race.

Her grip wasn’t the hesitant, meek hold I would have expected from an omega, but I should have realized by now that wasn’t really Elaina. She knew how to fake submission well enough, but it was calculated, a strategic ploy rather than her personality.

My shaft flexed within her grip and even if we hadn’t been in the pool, it would have been wet with my leaking seed. My knot was already bulging, threatening to expand the moment she applied pressure.

“So, what’s—”

The feel of her tight channel squeezing the tip of my shaft stole the words from me, and my hands moved on their own to grip her hips. I didn’t know whether I was trying to stop her or pull her down faster, but it didn’t matter, because the moment I took hold of her she rose on her knees and let out her own growl.

“No. Hands on the edge.”

The tone she used had me narrowing my eyes, but I was desperate enough to feel her wrapped around me that I pried my fingers from her flesh and lifted them from the water. She glared until my palms were flat on the edge of the stone behind me, claws digging in to keep them there.

I ignored the way her lips twitched into a smirk, but her next words had me snarling.

“Good boy.”

It only lasted a moment before it choked off and became a groan. The little gasp she let out as she sank halfway down my shaft was satisfying, but when she lifted once more, another snarl attempted to break free.

My claws skittered across the stone as my hands curled. Preventing myself from taking hold of her once more was one of the hardest things I’d ever done.

I bared my teeth as she sank on me once more, torn between watching her expression and trying to look through the water to where we were joined. It was impossible to see more than a blur through the ripples her motions created, but I wanted to see my flesh disappearing inside her.

“Let me touch you.”

I had to speak through clenched teeth, my muscles coiled too tight to make it sound like anything less than the demand it was. Elaina’s pupils had grown larger than usual, and she was panting through parted lips, but she still shook her head and denied me.

“Keep your hands where they are.”

The breathy words should have carried no power, and yet they kept my hands on the lip of the pool instead of on her body where they should have been.

She lifted and sank again, taking me deeper and distracting me until my tail scraped against the ledge I sat on. Lips pulling into a grin, I moved it between us and pressed the tip against the pleasure button between her thighs.

“Wha—”

She started to pull away but I bucked my hips, thrusting deeper into her and knocking her forward against my chest. Her breasts pressed against me, hard nipples digging into my muscles as I leaned forward and ran my tongue up the side of her neck where I wanted to bite her.

“You only said hands.”

Her groan turned into a cry as I thrust up into her again. I still wasn’t fully seated, but her entrance finally pressed against the bulge at the base of my shaft.

“No knot.”

I froze when she gasped the command, frowning down at her. Omegas craved an alpha’s knot, especially when they were in heat, and Elaina should have been close enough to want it. She smelled as if she could tip into heat at any moment, so there was no reason for her to deny what her body had to be craving.

Unless she was scared of it.

I had to remind myself she was Human and this was her first time with an alpha. She was smaller than me, and Human male anatomy was likely smaller as well, so it wouldn’t be surprising if she feared my knot.

“I wouldn’t hurt you, Elaina. You can take it.”

Hands pressed to my chest, she sat back and shook her head. She had the look of someone ready to flee, but I wasn’t ready to let her run.

“No. No knot.”

Her voice was firm, the words clear, and I knew she meant it. If I went against her wishes, she’d never trust me, and it would cause issues when we bonded.

I dipped my head in a slow nod.

“Okay rethari. You’re in charge.”

I had laughed at the alphas who claimed their omega was the one in charge, but it made more sense now. I might have been larger, stronger, but my instincts pushed me to do as she wished. I still could have forced her, but I’d have had to fight myself as I did it, and I had no desire to lose the ease that had grown between us.

She was slow to relax and start moving again, but when I stayed still and let her set the pace, she became confident once more. She had claimed it was unfair that I’d given her pleasure without taking any, and yet watching her use me was just as enjoyable as the sensations she caused as her tight channel moved up and down my shaft.

“Vael’ra. Rhae’ra.”

Stone dust gathered beneath my claws as I raked them along the edge, trying to hold on long enough for Elaina to reach her peak. My knot was throbbing, and I was growling with the effort it took to keep my seed from spilling.

“Rhae’ra, rethari. Sehl’ar.”

I couldn’t even concentrate enough to speak in Common, falling into Morraki, but I had a feeling Elaina liked it. Her core clenched around me, her movements growing jerky, and when she stiffened I couldn’t hold back any longer.

Taking hold of her hips, I pumped up into her. She shattered on the third thrust, crying out to the cavern as her back arched.

I followed a breath later, squeezing her hips as I forced myself not to slam my knot through her entrance. I wanted to lock it inside her, to seal my seed in her womb and fill her until she couldn’t hold any more, but I respected her wishes.

We were both gasping, hearts racing as she leaned against my chest. A gentle purr started before it cut off on a cough and she pretended like it had never happened.

Smiling to myself, I rested my cheek atop her head and breathed her in. She was nothing like I had expected when I decided to choose a Human omega, but everything about her was perfect. I couldn’t wait for her to go into heat so I could claim her as mine.

I just had to put her in danger first.

The rebels were bound to attempt another attack. They couldn’t let another Human arrive and do nothing about it. I could have kept her safely locked inside my quarters, but the plan to use her as bait was still a good one.

I just didn’t feel right about doing it anymore.

Chapter Seventeen

Elaina

The buzz lingering beneath my skin had eased enough that I could almost pretend the previous evening hadn't happened.

Almost.

Every time Drazien's hand brushed mine or he looked at me for a heartbeat too long, my face threatened to warm all over again. Worse, my body remembered exactly how it had felt to have his mouth on me, and I found myself studying entirely inappropriate things while he braided his hair that morning.

His hands.

The muscles moving beneath the dark skin of his back.

The long tail that somehow ended up inside me once more while I slept.

I looked away before he caught me staring, trying to get my thoughts under control before I gave myself away.

“You’re unusually quiet.”

I hummed, trying to come up with an excuse that might be believable.

“Just thinking.”

He arched a brow, his lips twitching.

“I was too.”

I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, hoping his sense of smell wasn’t good enough to detect the direction my thoughts had gone from where I sat across the room.

“Somehow I doubt we were thinking about the same thing.”

His expression shifted and a shiver skated down my spine. I knew I was wrong, even if he wasn’t going to call me on it.

“Perhaps.”

Heat crept into my cheeks, and I resisted the urge to growl. Infuriating male, I’d never had the urge before the injection, but somehow it felt right to let the sound out whenever he frustrated me.

He finished tying off his braid before reaching for his weapons. Unlike yesterday, he buckled on a pair of curved blades before slipping a longer knife through the sash at his waist.

I eyed him, my stomach twisting.

“Are we expecting trouble?”

For once, his expression seemed serious, and for a moment worry chewed at my gut.

“No.”

He didn’t offer anything more, but I wasn’t willing to drop it. He’d never openly worn weapons before, even if I knew he always had a blade tucked in his boot.

“Then why the swords?”

“It would be foolish to go unarmed during Khavren. Khorr represents might and power. Many alphas test their strength at this time.”

I blinked, trying to make sense of what he was telling me. I knew the Morrak were warriors and placed a lot of weight on their rank, but he made it sound as if there would be brawls in the streets.

My confusion must have shown because his grin grew sharper, and he closed the distance between us. Taking hold of my chin, he tipped my head back.

“You need to understand how Morraki fight.”

The nearness of his lips was enough to distract me from my worry. I’d decided to give in to the attraction between us, telling myself it was harmless to enjoy myself while I was here, but I hadn’t planned for it to grow instead of calming once I scratched the itch.

“Today, you will.”

His lips covered mine, tongue entering my mouth the second I opened for him, then he was releasing me and pulling away, that infuriating smirk on his sinful lips.

“Come, rethari.”

If only he knew how easy it would be for me to follow that command in a different way.

I tried to quell my libido as he led me toward the ravine. The walk reminded me just how immense Korvashan truly was, and how little I’d seen of it.

The lower levels seemed peaceful. They were alive with community in a way I wasn’t sure Earth had ever been, yet the closer you came to the surface, the more you were reminded of Morrakan’s powerful culture. Warriors moved through the High Ledge with determined strides, many carrying bundles of crimson banners or lengths of polished metal that caught the light shining through the crystals once more.

Khavren.

The Festival of Flame.

The preparations had intensified overnight, and everywhere I looked, there was a reminder that this was a special time. Throbbing music echoed through the tunnels, crimson banners covered the stone, and little braziers danced with flames of varied colors.

For the first time, I spotted children amongst the adults. Dressed in bright colors, their kethra less steady, they caught the eye even amongst so many decorations.

When we approached the ravine, the wind whipping through it caught the loose strands of my hair, tugging more free from the braid resting over my shoulder. I carried the thavren Drazien had handed me before we left his home, but the moment he noticed my struggle to contain the curly strands, he tugged it from my hand and wrapped it over my hair, keeping my face free.

“The wind will ease as Vorrashan rises, but you will still need this.”

I fought the smile that wanted to pull on my lips. For someone who teased mercilessly and acted so tough, he was getting worse at pretending he didn’t care.

That thought made me swallow, and I turned my gaze away from him. Irritating him was entertaining, but it was getting harder to deny I actually liked him.

He led me beyond the stairway to the surface, along a broad path that followed the ravine edge. The view was still breathtaking, the stark beauty of it something I could stare at for days and still find something new.

We continued on towards the sound of voices that grew louder until I would have had to yell to be heard over them. The path had split, narrowing down until there was only enough room for the two of us to pass side by side as we climbed a short set of stairs.

When we emerged at the top, I was stunned by what reminded me of the old gladiator arenas in ancient Rome. Tier after tier of stone levels surrounded a sunken fighting pit filled with sand. Hundreds of Morraki already crowded the stands with more arriving, and the atmosphere was one of excitement.

There was a scent in the air that tugged at me, telling me I knew it even though I couldn’t place it, but I couldn’t focus as Drazien dragged me along until we found enough space at the railing to stand.

“This is Veyr'vokkar.”

I knew veyr. Blood was a common word in Morraki, and I stared down into the arena below us as the gates at each end rose.

“Warriors enter to prove themselves against each other.”

I frowned at the naked bodies striding into the arena. Both seemed younger than Drazien, less scarred, but neither looked as if they were being forced.

“Why?”

Drazien lifted one shoulder and let it drop as a deep horn echoed through the stone around us. The conversations grew quieter for a moment as the warriors began to circle, but the moment they lunged towards each other the noise tripled.

“For many reasons. To repent. To regain honor. To show their abilities.”

The speed of the combatants stole my breath. There was no moment when they were motionless, colliding hard enough that I could hear the fleshy impacts from where we stood. The larger of the two drove the other backward with a brutal elbow that would have ended most human fights, but instead of falling, his opponent rolled with the blow, catching the larger male's arm and twisting.

It wasn’t long before blood and sand coated both Morraki, but neither backed down. While initially the crowd seemed to be cheering for the sheer violence of it, I began to notice they were studying the movements of the two males, commenting on their strategies and strikes.

The longer I watched, the more it seemed like a show. Like the movements were coordinated, rehearsed, until the smaller one slipped his tail under the other’s guard and stabbed beneath his ribs.

I flinched as blood splattered the sand, but Drazien didn't move. The injured fighter pressed on his wound before dropping into a ready stance once more, grinning at the male circling him.

I didn’t understand at first, thinking the Morraki simply crazy, until I realized he wasn't smiling because he'd been hurt or because he was planning revenge. He was smiling because he was enjoying being matched against someone who was holding his own against him.

The fight became even faster, more violent, and yet I could see the discipline and planning in it. When one competitor slipped, the other didn't exploit it with a cheap strike. He stepped back, allowed him to regain his footing, and only then attacked again.

“He could have ended it.”

Drazien nodded at my observation, still watching the warriors.

“Many times.”

Frowning, I looked between the combatants before turning to him.

“Why didn't he?”

Dark eyes met mine, pupils narrowed against the sunlight pouring in the open roof of the arena. The red light cast a purple sheen over his skin that matched his kethra, even making his eyes seem more violet than blue.

“Because the purpose is not victory.”

His answer caught me by surprise, and I looked into the arena again.

“Then what are they doing?”

Drazien’s smile wasn’t mocking as he watched the males rolling through the sand, grappling.

“Revealing weaknesses and destroying them.”

I shook my head, still not grasping what he meant.

“In who?”

Quirking a brow, he gestured as the injured warrior landed his own jab to the smaller Morraki’s thigh.

“In both. They are thyrran. I believe your people call them… battle buddies.”

The answer made me look at the men closer. Neither seemed angry or fought like someone with a grudge. Every movement looked calculated.

“They're testing each other.”

Drazien nodded, the smile he aimed at me making my chest warm.

“Correct.”

The realization let another piece click into place. A soldier’s unit knew them better than most, which meant knowing their weaknesses as well as their strengths. They would be the best people to push them to be better.

“Then the winner isn't the one who survives the longest?”

Straightening from where he’d been leaning on the railing, Drazien pulled me against his side with his tail.

“No. It’s who learns the most.”

I watched another flurry of attacks. One competitor swung high and the other adjusted, and then the pattern changed. He was making the other focus and not grow complacent in his defense.

“It’s about strategy.”

Drazien’s words sounded suspiciously like something he'd said during training, and I looked sideways at him. Both his tail and arm were looped around me, but I didn’t feel the need to pull away. After our display in the River Caverns drew no attention, who would care about him holding me while fully clothed?

“You expected this to scare me.”

His lips twitched.

“I expected this to show you what you’ll be up against.”

My brows furrowed as I frowned at him, but his eyes returned to the arena. I was beginning to suspect he was hiding something, but if he was worried about the incidents Taryn had mentioned, it didn’t make sense for him to keep taking me out in public areas that were impossible to secure.

The pair finished their fight and left the arena side by side before another pair entered. They were older, scarred, and were far more focused than the first two had been. Their fight almost seemed calm until one of them dislocated the other’s knee.

“When you understand the consequence of failure...”

Drazien didn't finish. He didn't need to. If I ever faced a Morraki who didn’t want a Human on their planet, I would be in worse shape than the warrior being helped from the arena.

The truly surprising part was that there was no celebrating in the crowd. No humiliation or jeering the way I’d have expected at a competition on Earth.

The crowd was respectful.

I found myself smiling and shaking my head despite what Drazien was trying to show me.

“So this isn't about the violence.”

I saw his head turn my way from the corner of my eye, a hint of blue tinting his marking.

“It is.”

I shook my head and turned to face him.

“No. The violence is the language. The conversation underneath is about the strength in caring.”

Silence stretched between us as he stared at me, but I was confident in my interpretation. The Veyr’vokkar was brutal, but it wasn’t violence for gratification alone.

“You look at things differently than most.”

His quiet statement made my breath catch. Somehow, as odd as it was, it was the best compliment I’d ever received.

Taking my hand in his, he pulled me out of the stands and away from the arena. We returned to the stairwell that led to the surface, and he adjusted my thavren before leading me to the festival within the fortress.

Temporary stalls filled every available space. Jewelry, weapons, clothing, spices… Anything a person could want was on display.

Then there was the food. I didn’t recognize half of it, but the smells made my mouth water.

Mixed amongst those were areas with music and people dancing. Games of skill and luck. Art displays and what looked like classes over all sorts of things.

I tried to absorb it all, but it was too much. Everywhere I looked was something new.

Something I wanted to learn more about.

“This is incredible.”

Drazien huffed but there was a tolerant tilt to his features.

“It is noisy and distracting.”

Laughing, I tugged him towards a group of tables with what almost looked like a chessboard laid out atop each one.

“It’s fun!”

His brows bunched and he tried to look as if he didn’t believe me.

“You enjoy crowds?”

Curling my nose, I shook my head. I’d spent most of my life avoiding crowds, but it was different on a different planet. My curiosity overrode the instinctive urge to stay away.

“I enjoy seeing how you live. Learning your culture.”

His expression softened as he tipped his head.

“I haven’t heard of Morrakan welcoming tourists, so…”

He snorted, shaking his head and looking truly offended at the thought of people coming to Morrakan on vacation.

“Khavren is for us.”

That made me like it even more. It wasn’t fake or dressed up the way holidays on Earth had become. It wasn’t the face the Morrak wanted others to see.

We wandered between the stalls. Unlike the lower markets, many of the vendors specialized in handcrafted goods more than just necessities, and seemed to have special pieces on display. Children chased colored ribbons dancing in the wind, their high-pitched laughter so similar to a Human’s, I could almost believe I was on Earth again if it wasn’t for the red light drenching everything, plus the growing heat.

The thought was sobering, because I found myself thinking I would have been disappointed if I had missed this. I knew my place on Earth, had a spot where I fit, and while the thought of a life on Morrakan felt unstable, it also felt…

Exciting.

Khavren was the Festival of Flame. The celebration of summer, and fire, and the change that it brought to everything it touched.

Yet my life had revolved in a little bubble that never changed.

I turned to Drazien, trying to focus on the moment.

“Does Khavren celebrate surviving winter, or arriving at summer?”

Some might think there was no difference, but there were subtle contrasts between the two concepts. He considered the question before shrugging.

“Both. Kriska is not harsh here, but it’s uncomfortable for us. Vorrada can be deadly, but so is life.”

I huffed a laugh. For people who lived on a world as harsh as Morrakan, surviving was never guaranteed.

As we continued wandering through the festivities, I began to notice how much attention we drew. Wrapped in a thavren, it was hard to tell I wasn’t a small Morraki unless someone saw my eyes or was close enough to scent me, but people seemed to notice Drazien just as much. Kael and Rhydek were both watched wherever they went, and were generally greeted with respect, but when people noticed Drazien, they averted their gaze, stepped aside, and few acknowledged him.

I watched it happen again, and again, finally reaching the point where I had to speak.

“They're avoiding you.”

He barely glanced my way before turning his attention back to a table of blades.

“They’re giving us space because alphas are territorial over their omega.”

Frowning, I looked around before deciding the answer was bullshit.

“No, they're avoiding you.”

He met my gaze. His expression remained unreadable as we stared at each other in silence before he shrugged.

“I prefer it that way.”

It was my turn to study him. Plenty of people said they preferred to be alone when they were ostracized, but most didn’t mean it.

“That’s not the way it seems.”

Another long moment passed, but he didn’t look away.

“They know what I do.”

I arched a brow, trying to remember everything I knew of him, but beyond his title, it wasn’t much.

“You’re a warrior.”

A grin spread across his face, showing his fangs, but it wasn’t a pleasant one.

“I have a reputation.”

It didn’t take much to guess what he meant.

“They think you're dangerous.”

It wasn’t an unusual attitude for civilians to have towards soldiers, but it seemed odd in a culture like his.

Drazien’s head tilted and he reached out to grip my chin through the thavren.

“I am, rethari, and they all know it.”

The answer came without apology, a simple statement of fact. Somehow that made it sadder.

I thought back over everything I'd experienced since meeting him. How he’d been by my side while I was ill. The patient language lessons because I had said I wanted to learn. The way he carried me when I was exhausted, and made sure I ate and stayed hydrated. How he was teaching me to defend myself.

He could be ruthless, I didn't doubt that, but he wasn't cruel. At least, not with me.

“I think they don’t know you very well.”

He released my chin and stepped back, eyes locked on mine before he gave a small nod.

“Perhaps.”

There was something unexpectedly lonely in that single word. For the first time since meeting him, I wondered what kind of life had made him believe solitude was simply the way things were.

Without thinking about it, I slipped my hand into his and gave it a squeeze. He looked down before staring at me once more, and I shrugged.

“Their loss. I guess I get you all to myself.”

Something flickered through his eyes too quickly for me to name. Something that made his usual confidence disappear for a heartbeat before he slipped the mask back into place.

His fingers tightened around mine before he led me deeper into the festival, and for a moment I thought perhaps I wasn't the only one learning how to navigate a new situation.

Chapter Eighteen

Drazien

I had expected the festival area to be busy, but I hadn’t expected all of Korvashan to be there.

Veyrdrahl’tharvek no longer resembled the disciplined military installation that guarded Korvashan from attack. Crimson banners stretched from tower to tower, snapping in the relentless wind. Bonfires burned in every open square, their flames shifting between brilliant oranges, deep blues, and violet hues that could only be seen beneath Vorrashan’s light.

Music echoed from every direction, layered beneath the buzz of hundreds of voices. Children darted through the crowds, weaving between warriors whose stern expressions softened whenever one of the little ones tugged at a tail or demanded to be lifted onto broad shoulders.

But instead of it feeling festive, it felt...

Crowded.

Exposed.

Dangerous.

I tightened my tail around Elaina’s waist, her fingers tangled in mine not enough for the instincts pummeling me to take her back to my quarters. To lock her in her nest until her heat arrived and I could be sure none could take her from me.

“You’re doing it again.”

It took a moment for me to realize she was looking at me. She was so eager to see everything around us that it had been easy to watch her without her noticing, so I’d grown lax in pretending that she wasn’t the center of my focus.

“What?”

One brow arched, and I wanted to rip the thavren away to see the smile I knew was on her lips.

“Using your tail like a leash.”

I let out a laugh and didn’t bother to deny that was exactly what I was doing.

“I can't help it.”

The look in her eyes said she didn’t believe me, but it was true. I knew I was supposed to be using her as bait, but I couldn’t stand letting her get beyond arm’s reach.

And that was fine, because no Morraki alpha would let his omega wander off this close to their cycle. It would seem suspicious if I did.

“I’m not sure if you’re worried for me, or about me.”

I paused to consider my answer before nodding my head once.

“Yes.”

She huffed, but before she could press me further, something caught her eye. She stepped around me, tugging my hand until I turned and saw what it was.

Books.

The stall she was staring into held all sorts of herbs and salves used by the kethral, but her eyes were locked on the shelves of scrolls and books.

I remained where I was when she tried to walk closer before exhaling dramatically.

“You don’t need those.”

Her brow was furrowed when she glanced back at me, as if I was keeping her from some important task.

“I didn’t ask to buy them.”

The look I gave her said we both knew she’d already been thinking about it.

“They are medical texts. Technical and boring. Too advanced for even me to make sense of.”

She didn’t need to know I had enough training in wound care to probably read anything over there. It would be too hard for her, even as fast as she was learning.

Still, when her shoulders dropped and her tugging eased, guilt twisted in my gut. Closing my eyes, I heaved a real sigh before turning her towards another tent.

“They have copies of the old stories children are taught when they are young. You can pick one of those.”

The way she squeezed my fingers revealed her excitement even if her kethra were hidden beneath her thavren and clothing. I hated that her flesh was covered with layers of fabric, but I also didn’t want it damaged. I planned to rip it all from her the moment I had her beneath the surface once more, no matter who was around.

“You’re learning faster than my exes did.”

Her eyes widened at my snarl, and we caught a few glances from others before they realized who we were. She’d been correct that my people tended to avoid me, but I’d never seen it as a problem until I’d caught the scent of sadness laced through her natural fruity sweetness.

I choked off the automatic reaction and tried not to think about the men who she’d been with in the past. They were only Human, and they weren’t here. They’d never have the chance to touch her again.

“I have learned that denying you only delays us.”

I didn’t say anything about the surge of jealousy that had brightened my kethra, and she wisely didn’t comment on it either.

We moved through the crowd to the vendor I’d indicated, and I reluctantly let my tail loosen. Even within the confines of the tent, I didn’t like letting her go, but there wasn’t much room inside, and I had no interest in books.

She walked inside like a warrior given free rein in the armory, trailing her fingers over rolled hides, hardened leather, and data crystals. Most looked old and worn, some looked almost ancient, and of course those were the ones she seemed drawn to.

Her hand hovered over a stained roll with torn edges, and she lifted her eyes to mine before aiming them at the elderly beta tending the stall.

“Kehn?”

I was proud when she pronounced the term properly, requesting permission before touching the scroll. The old beta’s kethra flickered briefly before she nodded, shooting a glance at me before focusing on Elaina again.

It didn’t hit me until that moment that a Human learning to speak and read our language would almost seem as bad as breeding with one to the way the rebels thought. The Morrak didn’t share everything, even with our allies, because we knew how often allies became the opposite. That was most of the reason behind claiming Humans to begin with.

I almost wanted to reach out and stop her before she lifted the scroll and unrolled the first portion. Most of my focus was on the vendor, watching how she reacted as Elaina mouthed words before speaking them under her breath. It was obvious she was reading it, but the elderly woman didn’t show anything more than surprise.

Still, even if she didn’t take issue with Elaina reading Morraki, she would talk. She would tell someone of the Human who read Morraki. The news would spread.

Different emotions tore at me as Elaina replaced the scroll and lifted another.

“...Zha…Drahl…”

She paused, a frown on her face as she tried to translate the text.

“Soul stone? No.”

She looked up at me and I shook my head, confirming she’d gotten it wrong.

“You are close. Soul is eth, zha is memory.”

Her head tipped and her frown deepened. She brought the new scroll closer, pointing to where she was reading.

“Stone memories?”

I let my lips lift as I shook my head again.

“Morraki combines roots into ideas rather than literal phrases. Think harder.”

She narrowed her eyes at me before they widened.

“Memories carved in stone.”

I ignored the way my chest warmed and nodded to let her know she was right. Rolling it closed once more, she turned to the vendor and opened her mouth before stopping and looking back at me.

“Kareth?”

The vendor shook her head when I offered her a coin, holding up two fingers. It was an outrageous price for a children’s scroll, but everyone knew alphas spoiled their omegas, and even a beta could pick up Elaina’s scent. The beta knew I’d pay it by the way Elaina clutched the old hide in both hands, and I growled before tossing her the amount she wanted.

Elaina glanced from me to the woman before seeming to shrug to herself and drift out of the tent towards another stall.

Then another.

I followed in silence, watching as she interacted with the vendors, always asking permission before touching the books. Each one she seemed interested in I bought and then took from her, the bundle under my arm growing.

I let her explore, scanning the crowd when I wasn’t watching her.

She frowned at me when I added another to my stack and stepped closer, raising a hand. For a moment my chest froze, until her fingers brushed the ends of the books instead of me.

“I hope I can learn enough to read them.”

My head cocked as I studied her. The concern seemed odd considering she was already beginning to translate simple words after only a couple days of study.

“You nearly can. It won’t take long.”

Her lips parted as her eyes lifted to mine, but she closed them on whatever she’d been about to say. She looked troubled, but she turned away without revealing why.

We continued walking, and I noticed more people looking our way. None seemed hostile, most were simply curious, but it made me want to tuck her into my side and shield her from view.

Elaina must have noticed as well, because she slowed, watching a pair of males who whispered as we passed. It was too low for her to hear even if she could understand what they said.

“Drazien?”

I looked down at her and waited for the question written in her eyes.

“Are they whispering because I'm Human? Should I not be at the festival?”

I huffed and reached out to stroke a stray hair back beneath her thavren. I wanted to do more, to claim her lips with mine in the way her kind called a kiss, but keeping her protected was more important.

“They whisper because you smell delicious, but you’re marked.”

She nearly stumbled, her expression flashing through too many emotions for me to catch them all.

“What? But you haven’t bitten me.”

My shaft twitched with my desire to. The moment there was a chance it would stick, she would carry my mark forever, and her luth’rein would match mine to announce it to all.

“You wear my scent. They know you are my korravalryn.”

The skin I could see flushed as she blinked up at me before looking around. She leaned in close, dropping her voice as if those nearby wouldn’t still be able to hear her.

“You mean I smell like sex? We were in the water, I should be clean.”

I couldn’t help my grin. Her sense of smell may have gotten better with the serum, but it clearly still wasn’t as good as a Morrak.

“You still smell like me, and I, like you.”

I flicked my tail between us, reminding her. I’d been eager to continue what we’d begun in the River Caverns once we returned to her nest, but she’d been exhausted, so I’d settled for plugging her channel with my tail to keep as much of my seed inside her as I could.

I watched as she tried to decide whether to be embarrassed or annoyed, until another alpha passed too close. I shifted to block him, baring my teeth, and he dipped his head once before continuing past.

Elaina was staring at me with narrowed eyes when I looked down at her again. She’d stopped walking, tucking us into a little corner between a clothing vendor and a game set up within a tent.

“You did that on purpose.”

I answered with a shrug, but she shook her head.

“He wasn't bothering me, and you threatened him.”

It was funny how she’d picked that up out of all the cultural differences between us. Perhaps Humans weren’t as out of tune with their primitive side as we assumed.

“He was looking at you.”

“So?”

She said it as if I was being ridiculous, but alphas knew better. We were well aware of how short our tempers could be, especially when an omega was involved. Pheromones could make us seem insane.

“He looked too long, and you are mine.”

She still stared at me as if I didn’t make sense, but it was perfectly logical to me.

“You sound jealous.”

It was my turn to narrow my eyes at her.

“I am territorial. It’s different.”

Her arched brow said she didn’t believe me. Straightening, I used the same argument I’d been using on myself.

“It’s instinct.”

I saw the smile in her eyes even though I couldn’t see her lips.

“Okay.”

Somehow she made the word sound like victory, and my tail lashed behind me before I forced it still.

A young beta wandered close, offering Elaina a sculpted flower, painted like the ones in the River Caverns. I took it from him and the boy retreated, making Elaina frown at me once more.

“You stole my flower.”

Laughing, I held it up.

“I accepted it.”

She reached for it, but I pulled it away before her fingers connected with the delicate stem.

“It was for me.”

I nodded, saying, “It was.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she huffed.

“So why did you take it?”

She seemed genuinely confused, so I added the flower to her stack of books and took hold of her chin instead.

“Because it was given to my omega. A male, even a beta, cannot give anything to an omega being courted.”

The crease between her brows softened but I could still feel her frown through the fabric of her thavren.

“I can hold my own flower.”

Laughing, I let her go.

“You can. But I will.”

Sighing, she shook her head.

“You are impossible.”

All I could do was shrug and agree.

“So you've said.”

Tossing her hands, she looked away.

“Maybe I keep hoping you'll prove me wrong.”

Shrugging once more, I moved so she couldn’t see past me and had to lift her gaze to mine.

“I have no intention of disappointing you.”

My chest ached with the depth behind the words. I hadn’t realized choosing her would end up the way it had, but I meant what I’d said.

For a heartbeat the crowd disappeared, the noise faded, and all I noticed was how close she was. How easy it would be to pull her thavren away and press my lips to hers.

Then someone stepped too close and a snarl ripped from my chest before I could stop it. Elaina startled, eyes going wide before going past me to the group of boisterous alphas.

I opened my mouth to apologize for scaring her but was interrupted by an announcement. I knew what was coming would fascinate Elaina, so I sighed and moved aside, allowing her to see the clearing hear us.

“He is about to begin a seydrak. A… song that tells a story of our past. Wait right here.”

I took her hand and gave it a squeeze before turning away. I needed a moment without her pheromones clouding my thoughts, and she would be safe in the hidden corner long enough for me to remember what I was supposed to be doing.

Chapter Nineteen

Elaina

I watched Drazien disappear into the crowd before letting out a slow breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

He wasn’t abandoning me. He'd only be gone a few minutes.

Probably.

He'd squeezed my hand before leaving as if that somehow made leaving me in the middle of hundreds of strangers acceptable, and then simply vanished into the sea of moving bodies. I should have been annoyed, but instead, I found myself tempted to laugh.

He looked almost guilty as he walked away.

The realization was strangely satisfying. If someone had told me two weeks ago that the terrifying alien from the gala would one day feel guilty for leaving me alone long enough to buy food, I'd have assumed they'd escaped from a psychiatric ward.

Now...

Now I almost wanted to tease him about it when he came back.

I turned toward the Morraki who others were gathering around. The elderly male standing atop the raised platform didn’t carry weapons or wear a uniform, but he didn’t need those when his voice boomed loud enough to drown out the noise from the crowd.

No matter the language, storytellers all seemed to possess the same hypnotic quality in their tone. Something that pulled you in and didn’t let you go, dragging you along as if you were the one they spoke of. I couldn't understand every word, but I recognized enough to follow the main point of the tale.

“...Shaevrin...”

“...Khorr...”

“...eth...”

“...rhae...”

The Eternal Winds.

Flame.

Soul.

All.

He moved with sweeping gestures, painting pictures in the air as adults and children alike leaned forward, utterly captivated.

I understood perhaps one sentence for every five he spoke. A week ago it would have frustrated me, but I could tell how far I had come with Drazien’s help. Every conversation around me had begun sounding less like meaningless noise and more like a puzzle I could actually solve.

A burst of laughter erupted behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder. Another performance had begun several stalls away. Something similar to jugglers from what I could see, except it was long staffs spinning through the air, their ends burning with blue fire that left shimmering trails against the darkening sky.

Khavren truly was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Not because it was filled with aliens, but because it felt so alive. People weren't simply attending the festival. They were part of it. Interacting, performing, buying and selling. None of it would have been the same without the rest.

I realized I wasn't merely observing another culture anymore. I was experiencing it, and I wanted to understand it. The desire to leave had faded to a distant thing, and I caught myself wondering about what would be different next Khavren, next season, or around the next turn.

I knew it was dangerous to think that way, but what reason did I really have to leave? My career was gone, my apartment was gone, I had no idea what had happened to my car, and I’d lost my true family when my mother died.

Wanting to understand something was usually the first step toward loving it, and I was already well along that path. And somehow, despite my initial misgivings, Drazien had insinuated himself into the things I wanted to understand.

A gust of wind tugged at my thavren, and I tightened the fabric as I moved deeper into the shadows between the two stalls where Drazien had left me. Vorrashan may not have seemed as bright as Earth’s Sun, but it was still starting to sap my energy after being in it for so long.

Footsteps crunched behind me, but I ignored them, closing my eyes as I listened to the storyteller and tried to keep up with his words. The heat beat at me and my stomach churned, but the soothing rhythm of a story had always been something I enjoyed.

I could hear the crowd in front of me shifting, people moving on or coming to listen, and then voices began to drift from behind me, pulling me out of the trance the storyteller’s words had wrought. They were so low I wouldn’t have been able to hear them if they weren’t close, and I looked around, but there was no one in my hiding spot. The only possibility was that they were behind the tents.

The voices were male and sounded annoyed, and I moved towards the main pathway until I caught the word, “...Human...”

I froze, curiosity sparking alongside suspicion. I knew it was unlikely every Morraki was okay with Humans integrating into their world, and their tones certainly didn’t seem welcoming, so I sank back to where I had been, breathing slowly to catch every word I could.

Another voice answered the first, going too fast for me to understand more than “…alpha…” and then a few more partial words.

“Hk’kor Torvashek korravalryn rhekk vorrash. Vokesh zhal’kai.”

I frowned, trying to piece the meaning together. I didn’t know the first word, but the second was Drazien’s title, and korravalryn was what he’d said I was, that was similar to fiancé. Rhekk had too many meanings for me to be certain of the one being used, but I was sure vorrash was night, and kai was a negative.

My eyes widened as I stared at the people across from me, standing unaware a plot was forming behind the vendor’s tents.

Or were they? How many had anti-Human sentiments? I hadn’t noticed anyone who seemed hostile towards me, but maybe they were faking.

The two kept going but it was too much, even though I was sure they were talking about me. My heart fluttered in my throat as I scanned the people passing by, hoping to spot Drazien, but the crunch of sand told me it was already too late.

My mind whirled with the possibilities, but the pieces refused to fit any innocent explanation. If I'd misunderstood and told Drazien I thought I overheard someone planning something, I'd embarrass myself, but if I didn’t say anything and something did happen, it would be partially my fault.

The thought sent a chill through me and I swallowed. It was only a moment later when a dark form blocked my view of the festival, and a squeak of fear escaped before I realized it was Drazien.

He balanced two trays in one hand, his expression harsh as he glanced around the small space surrounding me before focusing on my face.

“What happened?”

Licking my lips, I swallowed again before forcing myself to speak.

“I think...”

I glanced over his shoulder then moved closer, dropping my voice so low it shouldn’t have been able to carry even with Morraki hearing.

“I think I overheard something.”

He set the trays on the ground without taking his eyes off me, a crease between his brows. The barest flicker of blue crept across his kethra, but the silver glow of mine drowned it out.

“What?”

“I heard two voices, males, behind me. Behind the tent.”

His posture shifted, shoulders stiffening.

“They were speaking Morraki, so I didn’t understand it all, but it sounded like…”

I paused, not wanting to sound hysterical, but my heart still pounded. I closed my eyes to calm myself and replayed the fragments I’d heard.

“The word Human was what caught my attention. And I understood alpha.”

I swallowed, doing my best to remember the exact inflections they’d used.

“Then something like huck-ore, followed by your title and korravalryn. Wreck—no, rhekk vorrash.”

Opening my eyes, I met his as I finished.

“Vokesh zhal’kai.”

Silence stretched between us as his gaze swept over my face then the fabric walls behind me.

“They sounded angry, Drazien. I—I think they were planning something.”

Reaching out, he pressed a hand to my shoulder and stepped around me. The walls grew closer together, forcing him to turn sideways to slip between them, but somehow he managed to force his way through and disappear beyond the place where they met. There was no crash or yelling from inside, so I assumed he did it without knocking over the wares on the other side of the tent wall, but I didn’t trust myself to be able to do the same, so I remained where I was.

The minutes dragged as I waited for him to reappear, watching the fabric shifting in the wind. When he did return, a hand dropping onto my shoulder startled a scream from me before I could stop it.

One dark brow arched before Drazien scanned the area once more. His gaze lingered on a few of the alphas passing by, but eventually he shrugged.

“There was no one there.”

I nodded.

“I know. They left right before you came back.”

He stared at me for a long moment before reaching down for the trays he’d left on the ground. Passing me one of the cups, he finally said, “Perhaps you misheard.”

I clutched the cup, brows rising when he didn’t say anything else.

“That's it?”

He shrugged again, lifting his own cup and taking a long drink.

“It’s the most likely explanation.”

Frustration tightened my chest and I shook my head.

“No. I know I heard Torvashek korravalryn, and vokesh zhal’kai.”

Drazien’s tail lashed before he looked away.

“You heard fragments and misinterpreted words.”

I squeezed the cup so hard my fingers hurt, but without proof, there was no way to make him believe me.

“I know they spoke of night.”

His huff was a punch to my chest.

“Because night comes. Many wish to avoid the wind.”

My jaw tightened, but I couldn’t let it go. My gut said what I’d heard was important.

“They were irritated. Speaking in quiet tones so they wouldn’t be overheard. They were hiding behind the tents.”

Drazien sighed before reaching for my face, but I jerked away before he connected. His kethra flashed but he let his hand drop, straightening to look down at me.

“Elaina.”

A growl ripped from my chest, startling me just as much as it seemed to surprise Drazien.

“No. Don’t Elaina me. I heard something.”

He was quiet for a long moment before giving a short nod.

“You have learned a lot. Maybe you did hear something. We can head home.”

I wasn’t sure I believed him. I knew he wasn't dismissing me because he thought I was lying, but he thought I simply didn't understand enough Morraki yet.

And maybe he was right.

The possibility gnawed at me and my shoulders sank. I'd only been able to hear the language spoken for a handful of days. A lot of their words sounded similar, and the message depended on context clues.

Was I overreacting?

I looked out toward the people passing by. The story had ended. Laughter drifted through the air, overlaying the music drifting in the wind. The festival continued as though nothing had happened.

Yet the uneasy feeling still swirled in my gut.

“I don’t want to leave.”

I slipped my hand into Drazien's almost without thinking. He looked down at it before curling his fingers around mine, and as much as I wanted to deny it, the touch was comforting.

I realized something that should have shocked me far more than the whispered conversation.

If those males had been talking about us, planned to do something to us, the thought of Drazien being hurt trying to protect me was scarier than having to face them myself.

And I had meant I didn’t want to leave more than just the festival.

I stared at our joined hands, trying to breathe through the emotions clogging my throat. At some point, without noticing when it had happened, Drazien had stopped feeling like the enemy who had caused my life to implode. Korvashan had stopped feeling like a place I was simply studying.

And that frightened me almost as much as the voices hidden behind the stalls.

Chapter Twenty

Drazien

Holding her hand had become as natural as not stepping on my own tail, but I wasn’t sure it was as useful. It prevented me from grabbing my weapons as fast. Twining tails was much more practical, but since Elaina didn’t have one…

I looked down at our joined hands once more. The tension in her shoulders had eased as we walked through more of the Khavren displays, but not enough to hide the worry clinging to her sweet scent.

She still believed she'd overheard a plot.

I wasn’t sure she was wrong, but I’d lied to her anyway.

Despite the fact that I was parading her around for the exact reason of provoking the rebels into an attack, I couldn’t help thinking she'd misunderstood. She was picking up Morraki fast, but it just seemed too unlikely that the rebels happened to use words she recognized, right behind the tent she was waiting beside, at the exact moment she was there alone.

Unless they wanted her to overhear, and their real plan was something entirely different.

Those two ideas sat uneasily beside one another, taking up too much space in my mind as we slipped between other Morraki enjoying Khavren activities. I usually spent the festival at the Veyr’vokkar arena, participating in the challenges, but that hadn’t seemed to be a good idea with Elaina there. It would have been too easy for someone to snatch her while I was fighting, or, just as likely, for her to grow bored and wander off.

“Come.”

I tugged her gently back toward the entrance to Korvashan.

“We're leaving?”

There was disappointment on her face even though it would have been the smarter idea. Still, I had enjoyed watching her explore, and I didn’t want the night to end on the sourness of our disagreement.

“No, but we will return to the walls of Veyrdrahl’tharvek so they may protect you from the wind.”

There was still tightness around her eyes, but she seemed relieved. Whether it was because she got to continue to explore or because she wouldn’t be trapped alone with me underground, I wasn’t sure.

I scanned the crowd as we walked, taking note of every alpha we passed. Not because I believed any of them were rebels, but because there was a chance it was possible. I had no doubt that the rebels truly were watching and likely planning some way to take or hurt Elaina, but the Khavren festival was too crowded. There was too much risk that other Morraki would get involved.

Still, the mission hadn't changed.

Only my feelings had.

Music echoed between the walls of Veyrdrahl'tharvek. Warriors shouted as they competed in contests of skill and strength, and smoke from cooking fires drifted through the dry afternoon air. Every instinct told me the festival remained exactly as it appeared to be.

Crowded, but safe enough. Impossible to attack without witnesses and collateral damage.

Yet I kept my gaze moving. Doorways, booths, blind corners. Vendors, competitors, shoppers.

It was habit. Nothing more. Warriors needed to be aware of their surroundings, and an alpha with his omega doubly so.

Elaina remained unusually quiet beside me. Every stall we had passed before had drawn interest. Questions.

Now she barely glanced toward them. She watched people instead, and that made me more uncomfortable than I wanted to admit.

Did she trust my protection so little?

“You are thinking too much.”

She looked up, brow furrowed.

“What?”

“I can hear your thoughts grinding together.”

Huffing, she shook her head.

“No you can't.”

Grinning, I let my tail wind around her waist and pull her closer.

“I can.”

She rolled her eyes and looked away, showing a bit more interest in things other than the Morraki we passed. I wanted her to be comfortable amongst my kind, not looking for danger behind each thavren. It was one of the reasons I didn’t want to tell her about the rebels.

“At least smoke doesn’t come from my ears when I think. Your brain is so dry it catches fire when two thoughts pass each other.”

Startled, I threw my head back and laughed, the sound catching the attention of those around us, but I ignored them. As much as I loved irritating my rethari, I loved it more when she used her claws to scratch back.

A smile tilted her eyes before she pulled them away again.

“I didn’t realize making an observation would make you bray like an ass. If anyone hadn’t been aware of us before, they are now.”

I didn’t understand the reference to a backside, but I knew it was unflattering, yet it was the second part of what she said that held my attention. Her worry still lurked, and I wasn’t sure how to ease her mind.

We wandered deeper into the crowds. Many were beginning to head underground before the night winds picked up, content to continue their carousing in the Cavern Markets or the other areas set up for Khavren. The festival went on night and day, and there wouldn’t be a moment of quiet in the public areas until it was over.

I purchased food for us that she accepted absently, taking small bites while her attention remained fixed on the moving crowd. She tried to look everywhere at once, being far too obvious. It was impossible to notice anomalies if you didn’t take the time to absorb what was happening.

A warrior approached from our left and slowed when he noticed Elaina. His nostrils flared and his gaze lingered too long, so I stepped between them, but he dipped his head and continued walking without challenge.

Elaina placed her palm on my back, making my tail arch before I turned to her.

“You don’t have to do that.”

I frowned, not understanding why she was telling me not to show them she was mine.

“He looked too long, and he scented you.”

She sighed and lifted one shoulder in a shrug.

“People look. I’m different. It’s understandable.”

My growl was quiet, but I knew she heard it.

“They do not look because you are different, they look because you are omega.”

Her frown beneath the thavren was obvious and matched mine, although she managed to control her voice better than I did.

“They're just curious.”

I bared my teeth for a moment before forcing myself to calm. There was a steady pulse beneath my skin from the effort it was taking to control my kethra, and the base of my spine was beginning to ache from keeping my tail stiff.

“They are male. Alpha. They would take you if they had the chance.”

She laughed and shook her head again, but I was glad she finally seemed to relax, even if it made no sense.

“You sound like an overprotective father. Good thing they don’t have a chance.”

Something in my chest warmed even as my shaft stirred at her words. The way she looked at me suggested they meant more than simply not having the opportunity to take her.

“It’s instinct.”

She didn't argue. It wasn’t an excuse if it was true.

The path we walked narrowed where several rows of stalls converged. Movement slowed all around us as people browsed and families crowded around performers balancing burning poles or tossing fire. They were the perfect conditions for someone to get close, and while I didn’t think the rebels would attempt assassination the way I would have in the situation, I didn't like it. No warrior responsible for protecting someone would have.

“We'll go around,” I said, directing her towards a more open area.

Elaina nodded. There was no teasing or argument, and while I appreciated it in the situation, part of me tightened. Her eyes never stopped moving. Left, right, up the walls, and over her shoulder. She was on guard the way I would have been in an unfamiliar city, but it wasn’t her responsibility to watch for danger.

We had nearly reached a quieter area when she suddenly stopped, the tension on my tail almost pulling me backwards.

“Drazien.”

Her voice barely carried above the crowd, the tone of it making my hackles rise.

“What is it?”

“The blue one.”

I frowned, not understanding.

“What?”

She didn't look at me, keeping her head straight ahead even though I saw her eyes dart to the side.

“His kethra. The blue streaks.”

I was already looking for him when she said, “Don't turn,” but I didn’t see any Morraki with blue kethra or a luth’rein that looked like streaks.

“What did you see?”

“An alpha. He was staring at me, and when I met his gaze, he snarled. His kethra flashed almost green, but then he ducked behind that stall.”

I still didn’t see anything.

“Where?”

Her breathing had changed, growing faster, although it was deep and not panicked gulps. I followed her gaze to the game she was staring towards, but there were too many people shifting between us and it for me to see if anyone lingered beyond the tent wall.

I forced my shoulders to ease. It was possible he had been looking at something else. Perhaps a rival in the game, and she just happened to be in his line of sight.

“Let’s keep moving.”

She finally looked up at me, but her nod was hesitant. I could tell she was uneasy, but there wasn’t anything I could see that was an obvious threat.

We went another hundred paces, perhaps twice that, when I noticed the absence of children in the area. Morraki were not a prolific people, omegas were too rare and beta fertility too low, but there had still been children visible all day, their high-pitched voices carrying above the others.

Here, there were none, and a circle of open space had opened in front of us between merchants selling weapons and armor. It was subtle, almost invisible, but it seemed too coincidental. Crowds naturally flowed around obstacles, but this felt deliberate.

My pulse slowed and I cocked my head, tipping my ears to check all sides. There were warriors approaching from our front, a pair behind us, and more lingering in the stalls.

It was too coordinated.

I released Elaina's hand and pushed her to the side where a clump of dakrethin and the wall of one booth created a corner I could protect. I loosened my tail but kept it around her waist, and her fingers curled around it.

“Drazien.”

“I see them.”

The seemingly random people were exchanging glances, as if trying to decide what to do since I hadn’t followed their plan.

“No, right!”

Her voice was sharp and I jerked my head in the direction she indicated. A cart rolled toward us far too quickly. No beast pulled it, and no one appeared in control.

The heavy metal wheels bounced over the uneven stone of the path, yet still seemed to gather speed as it hurtled directly toward the narrow lane we'd been walking down. It couldn’t have been an accident. Someone had released it, and the safe corner I’d put Elaina in was suddenly a trap.

Time slowed. People around us yelled and scattered, except the warriors who’d moved to block any escape.

My stomach lurched at the thought that she had been right, but I didn’t have time for guilt. I turned and caught Elaina around the waist as I slashed the tent wall with my tail to shred the fabric before yanking her through.

The cart thundered past where we'd stood a heartbeat earlier, smashing into the dakrethin and caving in the side of the stall. Canvas collapsed over us, but I was already moving towards the back of the booth, pulling one of my knives to cut through the fabric faster.

The area had dissolved into chaos. Warriors shouted as vendors scrambled to hold their tents upright or straighten tables that had been knocked aside.

Behind us, the four warriors who had stopped to make sure we had no clear path glared, but only for an instant, then they disappeared into the panicked crowd.

This had been planned. It was no accident, but a deliberate attempt by the rebels, and I’d almost let them win.

I started to lunge after them, but Elaina’s fingers tightened on my arm.

“Drazien?”

I looked down into her green and brown eyes. They were wide, her breathing fast and shallow, but she was watching me for what to do next. Trusting me to decide how to react, even after I’d dismissed her and told her she'd misunderstood because I’d been too arrogant to think the rebels would attack now. Here.

I forced the thoughts away and dragged her farther from the stalls. There was another row not far away, but I needed a moment to think.

I’d almost failed.

Her thavren had gotten lost when the booth collapsed atop us, and I took a moment to examine her as I pulled mine off. There was no blood or obvious injuries, and she must have been able to tell what I was thinking because she shook her head.

“I'm fine.”

The words were quiet, but they loosened the fist in my chest.

“Good.”

I wrapped my thavren around her head, leaving a smaller gap around her eyes and fluffing it higher on her head to make her seem taller. I wanted to do more, but it was the only thing I had.

She reached for my hand as I pulled away, but I caught both of hers instead. I knew I was holding them far tighter than necessary, but my heart was racing and my blood thrummed in my ears.

She studied my face for a long moment before nodding.

“You believe me now.”

It wasn't a question, but I didn’t deny it.

“I was wrong.”

The admission scraped my throat raw, but it was better than the alternative.

“I should have listened.”

Silence settled between us. She had every right to be angry at me, to blame me for what could have happened, yet all I saw on her face was concern.

She finally looked back toward the damaged booths and the vendors trying to right them. The dakrethin had been split open and knocked over, the smell covering any chance I might have had to identify those who had thought to trap us.

“I didn’t want to be right.”

Swallowing, I forced myself to loosen my grip on her. While we were mostly out of view, there was a bubble of open space around us that was making my skin itch with the need to find cover, but she needed reassurance first.

“I know. I’m sorry you were.”

“I just...”

Her voice faltered before she pushed on.

“I wish you had trusted me.”

Those words hurt more than the realization that the rebels had grown bolder. More than almost failing an operation, and the knowledge that someone had nearly taken her from me right out in the open despite the warning Shaevrin had sent us.

Because I hadn’t. Not truly. Even though it was precisely what I’d been watching for, I hadn’t believed she’d been the one to overhear the rebels and give the warning, because I had been too certain they wouldn’t endanger other Morraki, and that I would be the one who spotted them.

The mission suddenly seemed insignificant beside the failure to keep her safe.

I looked back toward the shattered merchant stalls where others were helping the injured and cleaning up the mess. The rebels had escaped, but that could be corrected.

Elaina's trust...

That would be far harder to recover.

Chapter Twenty-One

Elaina

Neither of us spoke as we left the surface. The laughter and music of Khavren faded behind us with every step down the winding stairs that disappeared beneath the surface of Morrakan. The warm light of the festival fires gave way to the dim glow of moss growing on the stone, and the wind that had tugged at my thavren became little more than a distant sigh echoing through the passages.

Drazien still held my hand. Not tightly, but as if he wanted to be sure I didn’t fall behind.

In a different situation, I would have teased him. Asked if his instincts still insisted I was going to wander off or be kidnapped.

Now, it felt a little too close to the truth.

The image of the cart flashed through my mind again. The way it had barreled toward us, and the masked warriors who blocked off any chance of escape.

The certainty on Drazien's face when he'd realized what I'd seen before he had.

“You're quiet. Are you sure you’re okay?”

The soft question echoed within the passage as if every soul in Korvashan was still on the surface. Despite being under layers of stone and sand, Korvashan had always felt alive, but now, it felt haunted.

“Just thinking.”

He glanced at me, the ghost of his usual smirk on his lips.

“That’s not good for you.”

I let out a quiet huff but couldn’t find the amusement I usually did at his teasing. Silence settled between us again, and he went back to watching our path, checking each intersection as if he expected more warriors to jump out at any moment.

Was that a possibility?

I had to assume it was.

I found myself studying the rough stone beneath our feet instead of looking at him or watching for danger. I knew I should have been more vigilant, but I was so… tired.

“Drazien?”

He was just a dark shape in the dim tunnels, a shadow pulling me forward, but I caught the barest glint of light reflecting from his dark eyes.

“Is it normal for people to be attacked during Khavren?”

I couldn’t see his expression, but I knew he was frowning.

“No. Khavren is sacred. Even when there was war between the clans, Khavren was a time of peace and celebration for everyone.”

I thought about it for a moment, my shoulders sinking.

“I guess that doesn’t apply to Humans.”

He didn’t reply but I couldn’t let it go. I had to know he believed me and that he didn’t think it was a fluke. He’d said he did after it happened, but people had a way of convincing themselves they remembered things wrong.

“They were after us. Or, me.”

He sighed before his voice reached me again.

“They were. The rebels don’t want us sullying the bloodlines with Humans. They don’t even want the alliance since they don’t believe we gain anything from it.”

His words made my stomach tighten all over again. The fact that there were people who thought that way wasn’t surprising considering Earth’s history, but finding that prejudice on another planet was disheartening.

Even more worrying was that he had known of them and the risk but still hadn’t listened.

“I thought maybe...”

I swallowed, trying to voice the tangled thoughts running through my head.

“...that I'd misunderstood.”

His eyes found mine in the dark once more and I felt the brush of something along my jaw. I still wore his thavren even though we were underground, but it smelled of him, and I couldn’t bring myself to pull it off.

“You did not. You were right, and I should have protected you better.”

The certainty he spoke with should have lifted the weight from my shoulders. He hadn’t tried to argue it was coincidence, but something still bothered me.

“You changed your mind awfully fast.”

The touch at my jaw faded and he faced forward again.

“I saw the trap.”

“I told you they were planning something.”

His hand tightened around mine for a heartbeat.

“I know.”

“So why didn't you believe me?”

The words came out before I could stop them. I’d tried to pretend it hadn’t hurt, that I would have done the same in his position, but that didn’t stop the hollow feeling in my gut.

“I believed you heard something. There were tracks behind the tent.”

I waited but he didn’t continue.

“That's not what I asked.”

Another sigh bounced through the tunnel, and he refused to meet my gaze.

“I thought your interpretation was incorrect, or that they’d wanted you to hear them to confuse me.”

I knew I had just begun to truly learn his language and the assumption that I could have misheard was logical, but he had never ignored me before. It made no sense that when it came to safety, something he had seemed so adamant about, he suddenly doubted me.

“I judged the situation based on probability, and was wrong.”

A sharp laugh ripped from my throat, and I turned my head to study the moss on the wall as we walked.

“Probability.”

It hurt to swallow, my throat dry, and it refused to let out the other things I wanted to say. I’d been distracted by the excitement above, but my feet and back were beginning to ache from the long day spent walking on stone and wading through sand.

“I thought it unlikely that the rebels would attack with so many others around. I thought you were safe in the crowd.”

My scoff was swallowed by the silence surrounding us.

“Your prediction was incorrect.”

He pulled me to a stop, and I realized we had reached his home. Instead of opening the door, he reached for me, cupping my cheek through the thin fabric shielding it.

“It was, and I’m sorry.”

The words carried enough regret that I almost let it go.

Almost.

Instead, another question surfaced. One that hadn't occurred to me until the thought of Taryn crossed my mind.

“Why me?”

I barely saw Drazien’s lips pull down, but the glow of my kethra made it possible.

“What?”

“Why me?”

For the first time since leaving the surface, I met his gaze fully and refused to back down.

“They weren't just trying to kill anyone, they targeted me. Torvashek korravalryn.”

He dipped his head slowly.

“Yes.”

He said it like there had been no question that I was the target. Like he’d already known their goal wasn’t to eliminate both of us.

“So why me? Why not Taryn, or the other Humans already here?”

He finally palmed the datapad and the door slid open with a quiet whoosh. He pulled me through, the lights coming up enough for me to be able to read his face.

For the first time since we'd met, Drazien looked...

Worried.

His gaze shifted away, but when I pulled out of his grip he focused on me again.

“Serenya is gone on the Zeydrassk. Taryn is too well protected between her mate and varku. Corrine doesn’t leave her meyr’kal, and the other Human omega returned to Earth after being attacked and rejecting her alpha. They killed the only other woman, and her korravai.”

Shock threatened to drag my thoughts to a screeching halt. The mention of incidents had been made to sound minor, but someone had died.

And he had known about it.

Something in me urged me to keep pushing. To get the full truth.

“Why then? Why there? Why risk…”

I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to say me, or others. The rebels had hurt some of their own, which extremists like that rarely cared about, but Drazien had put me in the situation and risked my safety.

His expression turned stony and he didn't answer long enough for the shock to roll into anger.

“Drazien!”

My yell seemed to startle him as much as it did me, but I was beyond controlling my tone.

“It is...”

He seemed to search for the right words, but in the end it was another deflection.

“...complicated.”

I ripped his thavren off my face and crossed my arms, digging my fingers into the muscle so I wouldn’t throw them in the air like I wanted to. I managed to calm my breathing and modulate my tone once more as I stared him down.

“It really isn't.”

I thought back through everything that had happened since my life had been upended.

The gala. Being selected. The injection and illness.

Him showing up at my apartment and refusing to let me out of his sight.

The constant escorts.

The warning from Taryn when we arrived, and then him teaching me to defend myself against one of his kind.

It all made sense if he’d known I was going to be attacked.

All except taking me to the Cavern Markets over and over.

Parading me through Korvashan when he could have brought food and even books here, to his home, where he had a training area taking up more space than his kitchen.

My heartbeat slowed as it dawned on me. It hadn’t been because he wanted to be nice and show me my new home.

He’d wanted me to be seen.

“You knew.”

His expression didn't change but the violet lines on his skin rippled blue.

“You knew they would come after me.”

Silence met my declaration but if I was anything, I was patient. I waited him out, holding his gaze until he finally nodded.

“It was likely.”

The floor seemed to disappear beneath my feet.

“They targeted the other Human omegas. Each one was attacked before they became too hard to reach.”

“Did you pick randomly? Just pointed at a name on the list?”

I didn’t have to explain what I was asking. I’d avoided him at the gala. I had done my best to get near the others, the ones already mated, but I had made sure to stay away from him because I hadn’t wanted there to be any chance of being chosen.

I knew the answer from the set of his brows and the way his lips flattened.

“You picked me, specifically.”

He closed his eyes for the briefest moment before his chin dropped. I wasn’t sure whether the knowledge was supposed to make me more upset, or somehow flattered.

“I wanted an omega of my own.”

The answer sounded too simple. Incomplete.

“And?”

He huffed before sucking in a breath and straightening.

“And it presented an opportunity.”

The words settled between us like stones. Cold, heavy, and uncaring about what they crushed.

An opportunity.

I hadn’t been a person to him. Not a Human, or a woman, or a potential mate.

I had been an opportunity.

“You used me.”

His head snapped up and his kethra glowed an electric blue as his tail whipped behind him.

“No!”

I laughed, throwing my hands out to the side.

“No?”

He took a step towards me, but I backed away.

“I always intended to protect you, Elaina.”

“While using me!”

His flinch was almost imperceptible, but he dropped his gaze to the side.

“I wanted you as my omega.”

I stared, mouth hanging open as I sucked in a breath.

“And that makes it better?”

He looked at me again, an odd expression on his face.

“It changes the situation.”

Frowning, I shook my head. He might have felt guilty for what he’d done now, but it didn’t absolve him of it.

“No, it changes yours.”

I didn’t need to say it didn’t change mine. He knew it as well as I did. It wasn’t my fault he wanted to use the new tool and play with it too.

He stepped closer again, but when I tried to back away, I was trapped by the table behind me.

“I wanted both, rethari.”

Growling, I shoved his shoulder and forced my way past him. He could have stopped me, but he let me go, turning to face me as I moved behind him.

“We needed bait to lure the rebels into the open again so we could catch them.”

I glared, crossing my arms over my chest.

“And you wanted a reward for once you’d done your job, like a good boy.”

His wince was more obvious this time and I knew I had been right. That was exactly how he’d viewed me. His prize for a job well-done.

His silence answered better than words ever could, and something inside my chest splintered. Every language lesson, every meal he'd insisted on feeding me, every time he'd carried me because I was tired…

Every teasing smile and sinful touch…

How much of it had been real?

“I was the unwitting bait in a trap that could have killed me.”

Somehow his kethra grew even brighter and he reached for me but froze when I pulled away again.

“You were never only bait. You were my future mate. I will always protect you.”

The words stung but he didn’t see. He kept going, driving the knife deeper.

“I came up with this because I wanted an omega. I’ve always wanted one.”

And that was it.

An omega.

Not a partner, or a mate.

Not me.

Just an omega that belonged to him. Useful, pleasurable, someone to take what they were given and be grateful for it. Omega was the lowest position in a pack of wolves, and I doubted it was different with the Morrak.

“I understand.”

My voice surprised even me. It came out calm, even, and utterly devoid of the hurt inside me that I was trying to crush into oblivion.

Drazien’s brows lowered and he seemed to realize he’d made a mistake, but it was too late. People tended to let the truth slip when they panicked. When there wasn’t time to plan and rehearse an appropriate response.

“I don’t think you do—”

I cut him off before he made things worse.

“Oh, I do.”

I nodded once, the calm inside me spreading ice through my veins.

“You wanted a toy.”

His eyes widened.

“A puppet.”

His kethra were flashing in a way I’d never seen before, but I ignored it. I couldn’t care if he was upset, because I couldn’t care about him.

“No, Elaina.”

“Something useful to satisfy your natural urges.”

“Elaina, it’s—”

“And if it helped catch these rebels...”

I smiled but it didn't reach my eyes.

“...well, that was just efficient.”

Drazien’s mouth hung open for a moment before he swallowed.

“That is not what I meant.”

Sighing, I shook my head, my shoulders dropping a fraction as the wall I was trying to erect trembled.

“But it's what you said.”

He reached for me once more, but I stepped back again. His hand froze in place before falling to his side, and he finally seemed to understand I didn't want him touching me.

Not because I feared him.

Not even because I was furious with him.

Because I couldn't tell which moments between us had been real.

“What has happened between us wasn’t part of the plan.”

I wanted to believe him. A part of me yearned for it so much it hurt, and my hand pressed against my chest without permission.

“I’m sure it wasn’t. It was just a bonus.”

His eyes narrowed, as if he had the right to be angry.

“It was not.”

I had never been one to let my tears show, but the more I repressed the pain, the more it turned towards anger.

“You expected me to trust you.”

Drazien straightened to his full height, kethra settling into the deep violet he always hid behind.

“And I still do.”

A laugh escaped, sharp and bitter.

“But you dismissed me the one time I needed you to trust me.”

He flinched like I’d struck him across the face, and a flare of satisfaction lit my chest. It wasn’t fair for me to be the only one hurt by his secret.

“I made a mistake.”

Huffing, I turned away from him, unable to look at him any longer.

“No, you made a choice. You chose not to tell me the truth about what was going on and my reason for being here. You chose to ignore what I’d said I heard. You chose this.”

Silence settled in the room, cold and painful. I wanted nothing more than to go curl up in bed, but it was his bed, and I didn’t think I could handle him trying to curl up with me.

“Elaina, I regret hurting you. I never meant for there to be any real danger.”

The words were more needles driven beneath my skin, making me feel things I had no desire to feel. I hadn’t come here to become his mate, but the deception hurt twice as much because I had started to think I might want to be.

“I believe you, but that doesn't undo it.”

It felt like the weight of the stone above us was pressing down, driving all the air from the room. My chest ached and my stomach churned, and despite the chill running through me, sweat beaded along my brow and spine.

“Elaina…”

I didn’t need to see him to know he was reaching for me again. His need to touch me almost constantly had become a source of comfort, but neither of us deserved it anymore.

“It doesn't matter now.”

His voice was closer when he spoke again.

“It matters.”

I knew if I looked over my shoulder he would be there, close enough to touch if I reached out.

“No, it doesn’t. I had started to think—”

I cut myself off and laughed at myself before continuing to speak to the wall in front of me.

“I had thought maybe going home wasn't what I wanted anymore.”

Silence pressed in again, but I swore I could feel his confusion. It showed when he finally spoke.

“We have time. I can fix this.”

I huffed at his response. He acted as if my future had already been decided and the only remaining question was when I accepted it. I knew he would think that, that they would all think it was a done deal, but I’d counted on them being required to accept my decision when I said I wanted to leave since I wasn’t one of them.

Turning to face him, I met his dark blue eyes, holding myself stiff as I drew in a breath.

“Your time is almost up. She said my heat would come in about two weeks, so I have to leave before then.”

The crease between his brows deepened and his kethra shaded towards blue.

“What do you mean?”

Lifting my chin, I dropped my arms to my side, refusing to hide. He wasn’t the only one keeping secrets, and it seemed like it was time to let him in on mine.

“I was planning to leave as soon as I thought my heat was coming. I wasn't going to let you claim me.”

He froze, his chest no longer rising with breath as he stared at me. The only indication that he still lived was his kethra, slowly brightening towards a brilliant blue that hurt my eyes to look at, but I pushed on.

“So, you’re almost out of time, Drazien. Better find the rebels while you still have bait to use.”

I turned and stalked towards the door to the bedroom, unable to hold back the waves of emotion any longer. The silence that followed was so complete all I could hear was the sound of my own breathing.

And possibly a heart breaking.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Drazien

The bedroom door shut with a hiss that seemed far too quiet for the weight it carried. I stared at the metal separating us, waiting for it to open again, but it didn't.

The silence within the room was suffocating. I knew Elaina was angry with me. Worse than that, I had hurt her.

Anger passed but hurt lingered.

My feet refused to move. I remained exactly where she'd left me, my gaze fixed on the closed door as if I could somehow undo the last few moments simply by replaying them enough times.

She wasn't leaving.

It was the first thought I had once I processed what she’d said. The declaration had been absurd, reactionary, and she’d only said it because she had been upset and had wanted to wound me.

Somehow she'd found the one weapon capable of doing it.

But she didn’t mean it.

The pressure in my chest eased as I assured myself it wasn’t true. She had spoken from anger, but she would sleep, morning would come, and I would make things better. We might argue again, but I would remain calmer, and I would explain what I'd failed to explain tonight.

She would understand.

Right?

The certainty lasted all of three breaths. She had been reluctant from the beginning, avoiding me at the gala and barely speaking to me unless she was forced to. She had asked specific questions about how long the serum took to work and how long she would have until her first heat.

At the time I'd assumed simple curiosity, but had it been?

Or had she been calculating how much time she’d have before she made her escape?

A cold sensation settled beneath my ribs, but I tried to assure myself it couldn’t be.

She had kissed me.

Let me feed her.

Allowed me to pleasure her.

None of that fit with an omega intending to leave.

My thoughts caught on the memory of her words.

“I was planning to leave...”

Not was leaving.

Was planning.

Past tense. She hadn't spoken impulsively, she’d been prepared to leave from the moment I chose her.

My eyes closed and I swallowed hard. The ache in my chest was worse than a knife wound, but I refused to acknowledge it.

It wasn’t there.

I forced myself to move. One slow step, and then another. The home I’d been so proud of, that had seemed more than large enough, suddenly felt too small when I was forced to turn and pace back the other direction.

Elaina’s robe lay folded over the chair where she'd left it when she’d dressed that morning. One of my books rested open on the table, a strip of woven fabric marking the page she'd been trying to translate. There were pillows on my couch that hadn’t been there before she arrived and a new sculpture on the shelf that held my weapons.

She hadn't intended to leave immediately. She’d planned to keep learning. Maybe I could have convinced her to stay…

My throat tightened and my tail whipped behind me, knocking the shelf over.

She had planned the moment perfectly. She would have waited, with me believing the bond inevitable, until the last moment, then she’d have disappeared before I could claim her.

No confrontation, no argument, simply...

Gone.

The bench to my table was next, crashing into the wall, the vezhakk horn splintering.

Every assignment I'd ever accepted had begun with the same principle. Understand the target, predict behavior, and control the outcome.

I had done exactly that, except somehow I’d gotten Elaina completely wrong. I had thought I understood her. I’d thought she was the perfect submissive omega, even though she’d shown me from the beginning that wasn’t who she really was.

She was quiet and careful, but she was curious and tenacious, with a will as strong as any warrior’s. I had watched her learn a new language in days, learn defense techniques that used her size to her advantage, and question traditions without insulting them. She solved problems by gathering information no one else noticed, yet somehow, I'd never considered she might be gathering information about me, about the Morrak, so she could leave.

Because I had wanted to believe that coming here with me meant accepting me as her alpha.

It was pure arrogance.

The realization tasted bitter. I had mistaken her curiosity as a desire to learn her new home even though I’d known she was more than the shipping analyst her paperwork claimed she was.

I scrubbed a hand over my face and tried to control my temper.

She had never lied, as much as I might have wanted to accuse her of it. She'd never said she intended to stay, because I’d never bothered to ask. The probability of her rejecting me had been too low.

I almost laughed, but the sound died before leaving my throat.

She’d probably misunderstood.

They probably wouldn’t attack during Khavren.

They probably didn’t want to hurt other Morrak.

Probability had nearly killed her.

The room suddenly felt unbearably small, but I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving. There wasn’t much risk of anyone getting in to hurt her, but I didn’t want her to come out and be alone.

Even if she might not want me there.

The robe taunted me and I snatched it from where it rested, bringing it to my nose. Her fruity scent had taken on an herby note after the serum in addition to deepening with omega pheromones. Just the smell of her lingering on the fabric made my mouth water and my shaft twitch, but holding the robe was likely the closest I was going to get to her anymore.

My thoughts returned to the rebels and what I was going to do about the mission. No matter what had happened, I still needed to find out who was behind the attacks and stop them. If the Torvakai or Torashkar lost their korravai, it would put all of Morrakan at risk.

Not telling Elaina of her part had been a mistake, but using bait to lure the rebels into the open was still a good plan. The attack on her proved I was right and that they would go after any Human they could, but it also showed me they were still escalating.

The attempt on Serenya had been made prior to bonding, so it wouldn’t have affected Kael, but the attack on Taryn after she’d been claimed had placed Rhydek at risk as well. The other attacks had been confined to the Human and their alpha, but this one showed they were fine with hurting other Morraki to get what they wanted.

I gripped the stone ledge of my table until my claws scraped faint grooves across its surface.

How long would it be before the dissenters decided killing the Humans was worth as many Morraki lives as it took.

Would they risk an entire cavern?

A whole level?

The plan had been sound, strategic, but the thought of placing any of the Humans at risk sickened me in a way it hadn’t before. I needed to think of something else, but my thoughts refused to escape the loop they’d fallen into.

I looked toward the closed bedroom door again. Elaina believed I had wanted a toy. She thought an omega was a thing to be owned. She didn’t understand the power an omega held over her alpha.

Had I given her that impression?

I replayed every word that had passed between us, cringing when I confirmed I’d made it sound that way.

“I wanted an omega.”

I closed my eyes and cursed myself. To a Morraki, the sentence carried the weight of an entire future. Of home, and family, and belonging.

But Elaina wasn’t Morraki, even if she’d become an omega. To a Human, it sounded as interchangeable as they treated their spouses.

Replaceable.

When I had meant I wanted her, she heard I wanted any female. As if any omega would do and she wasn’t the one who made me think that perhaps the bond was real.

The guilt I already carried settled heavier in my gut because I understood exactly why she'd heard it that way.

And because, at the gala when I’d made my selection, it had almost been true.

I had read the candidates profiles’, calculated their usefulness, and made a list of possibilities who fit the mission’s needs. I had narrowed the options with logic even if it had been my own desire that made me choose her.

Time passed while I paced, planned, erased everything and began again. Every solution I constructed ended the same way, with Elaina leaving and me having to hold myself together long enough to hunt the rebels to extinction.

And then…

And then I would face the Veyr’vokkar and attempt to atone for what I’d done, or at least be an example to other alphas of what not to do.

The thought left me feeling hollow, but I stopped trying to convince myself otherwise. If she wished to return to Earth, then I couldn’t stop her. I’d make sure she was on a ship crewed by nothing but betas and a kethral to help her with the effects of weathering her heat alone. There was nothing else I could do, because forcing her to remain would only prove every terrible thing she believed about me.

The decision hurt more than I expected, because I finally understood what Kael and Rhydek had meant, and why they’d scoffed at my plan.

Claiming an omega was not possessing them. Bonding was a choice, and even if I wanted her, I had to accept that she might want a life that didn’t include me.

The thought felt like someone driving a blade beneath my ribs and twisting, and I almost called a kethral for myself. Surely if something hurt that much, there had to be a physical cause.

I checked the time, ready to call Rhydek and explain everything. I would take responsibility for the failure of the operation and find another way to reach the rebels. I had spent my entire life sacrificing what I wanted for the good of Morrakan, and this would simply be one more instance.

But he had a mate to hold through the night, and it wasn’t yet dawn.

Turning to the mess I had made, I cleaned away the broken pieces and returned Elaina’s items to her containers. I hadn’t given her much time to unpack, but the full containers were more evidence that she hadn’t planned to remain. The only things of hers in my home were what I had insisted on buying her, and packing them away tore at my chest violently enough that it sent me to my knees.

The crystals in the ceiling began to brighten, revealing the rising of Vorrashan. I had not slept, and when Elaina suddenly appeared in the open doorway, it appeared she hadn’t either.

I surged to my feet before I could stop myself, breath held as she stared up at me. She was fully dressed in a set of her Human clothing, dark circles shadowing her eyes. She looked exhausted, but determination was written in every line of her body.

She folded her arms, her brows creased as she glared, but for the first time, I didn’t find amusement in her irritation at me.

“If I'm going to be bait, then I'm done being kept ignorant.”

I’d been prepared for her to demand to leave immediately, so it took a moment for her meaning to fully process, and my first thought was to deny her.

“You don't get to make plans for me anymore. I’m going to be involved in everything.”

I opened my mouth, but she held up a hand, stopping me before I could speak.

“I understand why you did it. If I can help prevent an attack on anyone else, I want to. And I would have said that, if you’d bothered to ask.”

My words stuck in my throat. I didn’t want her to be bait any longer, didn’t want to put her at risk, but it was still the best plan I had.

And she was right. I should have explained the situation from the beginning and asked if she was okay with it, because if she knew what was going on, she was in a better position to survive.

The strategist inside me immediately started turning over ideas. Elaina lacked training and knowledge of what the rebels might do, but she was competent. I had no doubt that she could help me come up with a trap sure to draw the rebels out so we could catch them.

But what was the price?

She was still here, still willing to place herself at risk, but could I live with myself if I let her gamble her own safety.

And could I survive the distance that had formed between us?

Or was there a chance to repair the damage?

For the first time since the bedroom door had closed the night before, I allowed myself the smallest, most dangerous thing imaginable.

Hope.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Elaina

I followed Drazien into the main room in silence, expecting him to begin issuing orders, but instead, he crossed directly to the wide stone table and swept everything from its surface except a datapad. He moved to one side of the table before looking at me and gesturing to the datapad.

“You said I should have asked, so I’m asking now.”

The words were quiet, his kethra a calm violet, but his gaze was intense as he stared at me.

“We need another plan.”

For a long moment, I simply stood there. I had expected another argument. Or another string of excuses and attempts to convince me he'd done the right thing.

Instead, he'd done exactly as I asked.

“I don't know if I have a better one. If they’re targeting Humans, using me to lure them out is a good strategy.”

He dipped his head.

“But you noticed what I missed, so your insight will help.”

Huffing, I shook my head but moved closer, curious what he had on the datapad.

“I noticed one thing.”

“More than one, and it likely saved both our lives.”

His voice remained level, his gaze steady, and my cheeks warmed.

“No one has done that before, Elaina. I’m the one they send to fix problems, because my plans work, but this time it almost failed.”

The compliment caught me off guard, and I forgot to be angry for a heartbeat. I was so used to being overlooked and forgotten that having someone see me was intoxicating.

I crossed the rest of the distance between us and took a deep breath. His scent filled my lungs, making my chest ache when I let it out and pushed aside the feelings it stirred.

A map of Korvashan spread across the screen, broken down by level. Veyrdrahl’tharvek on the surface, the High Ledge, the Cavern Markets and gardens. All the way down to levels beneath the River Caverns I hadn’t known existed. It showed guard positions, primary tunnels and secondary passages. Tiny winding paths that seemed too small for more than a single person.

“Where would you set a trap?”

I looked at the map for a long time, going over what I knew of Korvashan.

“The festival area on the surface won't work.”

He tipped his head, still watching me instead of the map I was moving across the screen.

“Why?”

“Too many people.”

It was the obvious answer, but it wasn’t as simple as that.

“That didn’t stop them yesterday, but they weren't trying to fight. They were trying to remove me without it looking like an attack.”

He nodded.

“They proved they don’t care about Morraki lives if it means removing the threat you represent, and it shows they know we’re going to be looking for them.”

Glancing up from the map, I realized how close he was. Since the moment I awoke after the serum, he’d touched me every chance he had, and yet his tail wasn’t wrapped around my leg or waist, his hands were on the table, and he was careful not to let his chest brush my shoulder even when he inhaled.

A pit hollowed my stomach, but I pushed the sensation away. I had to remind myself what he’d said. What he’d hidden from me.

“I need to know about the other attacks. Details. Where they happened, how many were involved.”

I listened as he told me about each, and my jaw tightened when I realized how much he’d kept from me. Every single woman who’d come to Morrakan had been attacked. It had been inevitable that I would be as well, yet he hadn’t bothered to make that clear so that I could be better prepared and protect myself.

He must have seen the growing anger on my face because he reached for me before pulling his hand back.

“I am sorry.”

Even if part of me wanted to, I wasn’t ready to forgive him.

We ruled out the River Caverns next.

“Too many exits, and families might be caught in the middle if a fight breaks out.”

He arched a brow, his lips twitching in that familiar way that told me he was holding back.

“If?”

Rolling my eyes, I sighed and focused on the map.

The Market followed.

“Too many exits, too many people, and there’s already been an attack there. They know you will be more vigilant in a place like that, and they’ll spot a trap before we can spring it.”

He nodded, agreeing. We discussed possibilities for what felt like hours, the crystals in the ceiling brightening enough to overpower the dim lights along the walls.

Eventually my eyes drifted toward one section of the map, and my lungs froze. It was hard to choose a favorite place in Korvashan, but it was somewhere I’d have spent unlimited time if given the chance.

“What are you thinking?”

I took a moment to consider the idea, deciding it had enough merit to share.

“The Archives. If they’ve been watching me like you assume, then they already know I’ve spent time there.”

He straightened, crossing his arms.

“I’ll admit I thought the same thing. What are your reasons?”

I tapped on the map, zooming in to the area around the Archives.

“The entrances are limited, the shelves create cover, and it’s believable that you might leave me there, thinking the High Ledge is safe.”

He was nodding when I glanced up at him, his kethra flickering the tiniest bit.

“The keepers can be warned to stay away, and there are rarely others in there. The Zha’torin are the main ones who use it, but they’ll be recovering from Khavren.”

“That means the only person in danger would be me, which is best.”

Silence stretched. Despite the fact that he was the one who came up with the idea of using me as bait to begin with, he seemed as if he didn’t like the last part and wanted to object, but eventually he leaned on the table and tapped the datapad.

“I can place warriors here.”

He marked two side tunnels.

“And here.”

He pointed to a nearby room without a label.

“I can appear to leave you in the Archives alone, but I will circle around and return and be inside the Archives with you.”

Swallowing, I fought back the desire to thank him. Being there to protect me was the least he could do after risking my life without my knowledge.

At least this time I would know it was coming, even if I couldn’t predict what might happen once they were there. But for the first time, I had a chance to control how it began.

Drazien studied the screen a moment longer before straightening once more and looking me over. His gaze didn’t hold the same heat it had before, and part of me mourned the loss. It had been nice to feel desired.

“You still need training.”

I arched a brow before sighing in defeat.

“I know.”

He hesitated before gesturing to the workout area he’d set up inside his home.

“It would be better if they didn’t know. We could go to where I trained you before, but…”

He didn’t have to finish. If the rebels thought I was a weak, untrained Human, I had a better chance to surprise them and get out of anything that happened. Training in a public place meant they might hear of it.

“No, here is fine.”

I rose and moved over to the thick mat on the floor. It barely cushioned the stone beneath and wouldn’t be as forgiving as the sand, but it was better than nothing.

Drazien followed me and I moved into the position he’d had me work on before. He reached for me the way he had then, but his hand hesitated and he raised his eyes to mine.

“May I?”

It took several seconds for me to understand what he was asking, and I had to swallow before I could nod. His fingertips settled against my hip, shifting my weight as he reached up to turn my shoulder.

“Better.”

I was hyper aware of where he touched me, the heat of him lingering long after he pulled away. He’d kept the contact light and clinical before he stepped back again, but I couldn’t help the way my nipples tightened and my breathing grew heavier.

Despite the anger and hurt, my body still wanted him.

“Strike.”

I didn’t hesitate the way I had the first time, trying to move the way he’d taught me. He stopped the blow with ease, and then I repeated the motion, correcting it before he could.

He nodded and then began to circle slowly. I didn’t wait for his command, recognizing an opening and taking it. Instead of retreating, I stepped inside his reach, trapping his forearm beneath mine while twisting my hips.

It wasn't elegant. It certainly wasn't the way the Morraki fought.

But it made him lose his balance.

He caught himself before falling, a startled expression on his face. For one long heartbeat, neither of us moved, then his grin spread, canines flashing red in the light.

“That was dirty.”

Shrugging, it was a struggle to keep from grinning in return. It felt good to be able to advance in an area I had thought I was hopeless.

“It worked.”

He nodded as he straightened.

“It did.”

His tail flicked once.

“Do it again.”

I was sore and panting before he was happy that I could pull the move on someone his size and possibly send them to the floor, or at least break their hold on me so I could get away. We both knew there was no chance of me winning a fight against one of his kind, but anything to buy time for him to save me could mean the difference between me walking away, or him adding another tally to his list.

“Okay, I’m starving. You can torture me more after you feed me.”

The comment slipped out before I thought it over, and the heated look Drazien aimed at me stole what little breath I had left. Sore, sweaty, and too tired to be angry at him for the moment, my body responded to the hungry invitation the way omegas were apparently programmed to respond to everything.

By producing slick and sending more blood flow south. All those jokes about men and only having enough blood to run one head at a time? They applied to omegas too.

Or maybe I just wanted to blame it on my new dynamic.

“It would be good to be seen so they think we believe yesterday was only an accident.”

I was surprised he was able to think if he was experiencing the cloud of lust hazing my thoughts, but I managed to pull myself together and agree.

I slipped into the tiny bathroom to wash up as well as I could in the simple wash basin before changing into a new pair of clothes that weren’t damp enough to cling to me. Glancing at the clothing Drazien had bought me in the market with a yearning that didn’t make sense, I dragged on the clothes I had brought from Earth to make sure I would be spotted, even with the thavren on, then we climbed back toward where everyone was celebrating Khavren.

The surface was no less alive than the day before. Music drifted on the wind right along with the sand, and smoke from roasting meat curled up into the red sky.

I had thought there was no chance of a red sky becoming normal, but somehow, it was more awe-inspiring than strange to look up and see magenta- and raspberry-colored clouds on the horizon, framed by the deep burgundy mountains, with Vorrashan spilling highlights over them as it sank towards the horizon.

I let out a sigh before I could stop it.

Drazien glanced down at me, arching a brow before it disappeared behind his thavren. The winds were stronger than they had been the day before, the sand thicker in the air, but we both understood why we were there.

He offered a hand, leaving it up to me whether I took it or not. It was a struggle to remember I was still mad at him, but no matter what, we needed the rebels to think everything was fine.

I laced my fingers with his and swallowed the surge of feelings it brought. It had felt so natural less than a day ago, but now I was aware of every inch of flesh touching his, of the pressure he applied without crushing my hand the way he easily could.

We drifted, making sure there were plenty of opportunities to be seen, but didn’t linger anywhere. A familiar booth sent a pang of regret through my chest when I realized we had lost all the books Drazien had purchased for me when we’d had to escape the cart, but I shook my head when he moved towards it.

There was no need for him to waste more money when I already felt bad over what he’d spent on me while I’d been hiding a secret as well.

Guilt churned in my gut and bile burned at the back of my throat. I had always had a hard time remaining angry at anyone, and trying to blame him for his omission when I’d been doing the same left my heart torn.

At the next stall he handed me a plate. Nothing more. He didn't insist I eat or attempt to feed me himself the way he had each time before. He didn’t even look in my direction as he stood guard and waited for me to finish the meal.

I found myself reluctant to lift the sahvey to my lips. It wasn’t that I couldn’t feed myself, we both knew I could, but the act of him feeding me had become intimate. Not in a sexual way, but in a way that showed he cared.

The crowds thickened as the afternoon wore on. Without really thinking, I reached for his tail and tucked it around my waist.

He looked down, eyes intense but head cocked, as if he wasn’t sure what I was doing. I wasn’t sure myself, but having it there made me feel better.

“If we're pretending yesterday was an accident, it might seem strange if you stop acting like I’m your korravalryn.”

His eyes flashed and the skin around them tightened before he dipped his head.

“True.”

He kept his tail exactly where I placed it. He didn't tighten his grip, or pull me along the way he had the day before. The tip of it didn’t wag the way it had that reminded me of a lazy cat. He simply kept it where I’d placed it, deceptively relaxed.

We walked the rest of the festival that way. Speaking little, watching everything, until he deemed enough time had passed to be sure we had been spotted without giving them a chance to set up another accident.

The walk home felt quieter than any we'd shared before. Neither of us spoke of the purpose behind going to the surface instead of the Cavern Market to eat. Or the trap we planned to set. Or the argument we’d had the night before.

The silence wasn't uncomfortable, just… careful.

When we reached his door I slipped my hand from his and he pulled his tail away, the missing weight of it a loss that left me feeling unbalanced. I studied his profile for a long moment as he palmed open the door and then stepped aside for me to enter first.

It would have been easier if he'd argued.

If he had insisted he'd done the right thing.

If he hadn’t changed in ways that showed he’d listened.

It didn't erase what he'd done, and it didn't make the hurt disappear, but it made forgiving him feel dangerously possible.

Especially when the weight of my own guilt was dragging me down.

I wasn't ready, not yet, but I realized I wanted to forgive him. Because if I was being honest, facing rebels with him was more appealing than returning to Earth, alone.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Elaina

After an awkward night alone in a bed that smelled like him with even less sleep than the previous, my temper was a bit shorter, but Drazien had been right about one thing.

Planning distracted me.

The ache that had settled between us after our argument hadn't disappeared, but it no longer consumed every thought. Instead, it lingered quietly beneath everything else, surfacing whenever our hands brushed while walking or when his tail tried to wrap around me whenever his focus was on something else.

He had breakfast ready by the time I joined him in the main room. The stone table was covered in dishes, his data pad, and enough leather straps to make me raise a brow even as my core gave an interested clench.

He looked up when the bedroom door opened and gestured to the new bench. I hadn’t said anything about the crashes I’d heard the first night or the lack of seating when I’d come out the prior morning, but I was glad to see I wouldn’t have to stand considering how sore I still was from training.

“Did you sleep?”

With his dark skin it was hard to tell whether he had circles under his eyes, but I had a feeling he’d gotten even less sleep than I had for the past two nights. It was odd how fast I’d adjusted to having someone beside me after years of sleeping alone, and how wrong it felt now to have the whole mattress to myself.

“A little.”

His gaze lingered on my face before dropping to skim over my outfit. Unsure what the plan was for the day, I’d dressed in another set of clothing from Earth, but I was down to nothing but the shorts and tank tops I’d worn for PT. That would have been fine considering the heat and that I doubted he would give me a day to rest, no matter how sore I was, but it left more skin exposed.

I didn’t want a day off despite the aches. I knew how serious the threat was, and the more training I could manage before we attempted to spring the trap, the better.

“Are we working on the plan again?”

He pulled his focus back to the table in front of him, straightening from where he’d been leaning on it.

“I’d hoped we would before we do a bit of training.”

I couldn’t swallow my groan and for a moment I caught a flash of the grin I knew before he hid it once more. I knew we needed to have a real talk, and soon, but I wasn’t sure either of us was ready to discuss feelings just yet.

Drazien waited until I'd placed a sample of each dish he’d provided on the plate he handed me before moving closer, going slow enough that I could have scooted away if I'd wanted. I wasn't sure how he knew what to do to make it seem like he’d actually listened to me, or if it was all an act, but my guilt was growing heavier while he made it harder to stay angry at him.

“If they're watching me, we don’t want them to try ambushing me anywhere but the Archives. We need it to be the one constant in our routine.”

He nodded at the suggestion.

“If they know it’s the one place they can count on you going every day, they’ll choose it for their attack, we just have to be ready before they are.”

“Right. So, after you torture me, we should go to the River Caverns. We can grab something from the Market for lunch on the way back up, but eat it somewhere else before heading into the Archives for a few hours.”

“Shyrn.”

I paused at the correcting before huffing and giving him a small smile. It was hard not to think in the terms I was most familiar with, but I needed to at least speak the correct Morraki terms.

“Yes, for a few shyrn. Then we can go to some of the festival again for dinner, but maybe not the surface?”

He was quiet for a moment, but I knew he was thinking. It wasn’t long before he changed the view on the datapad to what had to be the Veyr’vokkar arena.

“They serve meals here in the viewing rooms. We would be seen, but unexpected, so it would be safe to linger for a short time.”

I didn’t necessarily want to watch Morraki beating each other while I was eating dinner, but it was a good option, so I agreed.

“How long do you think it will be before they try again?”

Studying me for a moment, he lifted one shoulder.

“Eventually they'll convince themselves you've relaxed again, but...”

He paused, as if reluctant to continue the thought, and once he did I understood why.

“There’s not much time left before your heat. Drazh. A talren at most. For you to make it back to Earth before—”

“That’s not important right now.”

He gave me an odd look as I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. It was too hard to think of the future and plans I’d made while I was upset. I didn’t want to make that mistake again.

“I don’t need to be back on Earth when it comes, and this is more important. With Serenya gone, the other woman in hiding, and Taryn bonded to the person currently in charge of Morrakan, I’m the only option to catch the rebels. The longer they’re free, the more time they have to convince others to their side.”

He stared at me in silence for so long I wasn’t sure what was wrong, and when he finally spoke, he acted as if neither of us had said anything about my inevitable heat.

“I requested a list of the servants who tend the Archives. There’s one I trust, and I can make sure she’s the one working once we think everything is ready.”

At the mention of a female my stomach tightened and a growl threatened to spill from my throat, but I held it back, forcing the automatic jealousy aside.

“What about backup?”

He reached across me, careful not to touch, and switched to a view of the Archives again. He tapped the two entrances, then pointed to the nearby room he’d mentioned before.

“I will have warriors there watching both doorways, with more in nearby tunnels. I will be in the ventilation shaft.”

“The… What?”

The question escaped before I could think it through. Logically I knew there had to be ventilation shafts in the tunnels and homes farther from the ravine and in the deeper levels, but I’d never noticed any. Eyeing the breadth of his shoulders, I wasn’t sure it was possible for him to fit in anything going by that description.

“There is a shaft here.”

He pointed to the back corner of the room which would be blocked from view by the rows of shelves.

“When I leave, I will circle around and enter the shaft through another opening, then hide there. That way if they enter from the far door and check the room first, they won’t see me.”

I narrowed my eyes, but I had no choice except to trust him if he thought he could squeeze through. I’d never seen the shaft, and I hoped for his sake that it was a large one.

“What about your scent?”

Even in the depths of the River Caverns, he always smelled like rain on hot stone, with a smokey, charcoal tint. It was distinct, and if I noticed it, any Morraki was bound to smell him too, but he shrugged as if it wasn’t a concern.

“They’ll think it lingers on you.”

Arching a brow, I leaned my nose closer to my shoulder, trying to tell if I truly smelled like him. His lips twitched before he let out a sigh.

“Fine. I can leave my korrvek on the chair beside you to explain my scent remaining in the room.”

My brows remained arched but I nodded, agreeing that was a good enough precaution. We had no way of knowing if the rebels were attentive enough to notice details like that, but it was better to prepare for any we could.

Once I was done eating he put me through a few rounds of practice, but when my breath caught the second time I tried to lunge, he made me stop.

“A soak will help.”

The River Caverns were busier than usual since there were a few Khavren related activities going on there as well. The main entrance was decorated, cubbies filled with braziers, and even metal bowls floating on the water with small flames dancing in the middle of them. It brightened the space more than I’d become accustomed to, and I found I didn’t like the change. The dimness and mist made the cavern feel smaller, more intimate, but the extra light showed how large the space really was.

Or maybe it made me realize how small I was.

Drazien led me in a different direction than the hot springs we’d previously used. The paths between the pools grew narrow, with the river flowing swiftly along the wall. I couldn’t tell if the cavern narrowed or if it was another of the stone formations that acted as walls, but for once, it didn’t feel as if there was a vast emptiness surrounding us.

Curtains of moss hung from rock ledges that stuck out above our heads, and after we’d been walking long enough for me to be coated in a layer of sweat from the humidity, Drazien finally pushed one aside to reveal a small, quiet pool.

“It is deep here, not like the ones we used before. There is a current that flows beneath the stone that’s dangerous if it catches you. Place one of the ropes around your wrist before you enter.”

I followed his finger to what I had thought were vines coiled between the water and the stone wall. I wasn’t the best swimmer, and his warning made my stomach squirm, but I pushed past the discomfort and moved closer to the cubby carved into the wall.

I glanced over my shoulder after I’d removed my shoes and socks and realized Drazien still stood by the curtain, looking back the way we had come.

“Is something wrong?”

If someone had followed us, the secluded pool would have been a great place for an attack since I hadn’t seen any other Morraki for several minutes.

Drazien shot a quick glance at me before shaking his head and looking away again.

“I am not comfortable leaving you alone here, but I am trying to give you privacy.”

The words were tight, controlled, and somehow… wrong.

When we had first come here and I’d told him not to look, he hadn’t listened. It had irritated me then, and now, when it should have made me feel better that he was following my wishes, it made me upset that he was pretending I wasn’t there.

Why did this have to be so complicated?

“Drazien.”

He looked at me once more, carefully keeping his chin up even though I was still dressed.

“Get in the damn pool.”

His brow rose and for a second I thought I saw a grin before I turned to face the wall.

“But don’t get any ideas. You’re not forgiven, it’s just faster if we both bathe at once.”

I didn’t miss his quiet huff, but by the time I’d undressed and turned towards the water once more, he was already in the spring.

“The rope,” he reminded me as I took a step closer.

Leaning down, I found the small loop on one end, the other tied around a metal ring anchored in the floor.

“Is it really that dangerous?”

When I glanced at him, I spotted a rope attached to his wrist, and his expression was serious as he nodded.

“Warriors have been pulled under, never to be seen again.”

Sucking in a deep breath, I slipped my hand through the loop. It took a moment for me to figure out how to tighten it around my wrist, but once I did, I descended the short stairway that led into the water.

Drazien was at my side in a blink, carefully not touching except to test the rope and make sure it wasn’t going to slip off.

“There is a ledge around the edge to sit, and this will make sure you can’t be pulled under.”

I couldn’t sense any tugging on my feet that would suggest he was right about a current running beneath the deceptively still pool, but I was also much shorter than him.

Once he’d pointed it out, I found the narrow ledge just deep enough for me to keep my head out of the water while sitting. It wasn’t as comfortable as the first hot spring we’d used, but the others crowding near that area were only a distant murmur here, and I appreciated not being exposed to all of them.

“Thank you.”

I spoke the words to the water, unable to look at him. There were many things I should have thanked him for, but no matter the situation, he’d always seen to my safety.

I knew he had meant what he’d said, that he’d planned to protect me from the rebels, but it had still been wrong to keep what he was doing from me.

Just as I’d been wrong to accept the serum and come to Morrakan, allowing him to believe I was accepting him, when I’d planned to leave him at the altar.

“And… I’m sorry. For deceiving you. I was forced to attend the gala, so I had tried to make the best of it by eavesdropping on Kael and the other Morraki there, to try to hear your language since we didn’t have much information about it, but I had made sure to avoid you. I was shocked when I received the news that I’d been selected, and since it came in the middle of a meeting, my superior immediately revoked my clearance and kicked me out. I lost my career, medical, home… Everything.”

The silence around me was deep enough that I could have believed that Drazien had slipped away while I wasn’t looking, but I knew he was there. Probably staring at me with that intense gaze of his, even if his signature smirk was missing.

“I had thought that maybe if I came here and learned something useful, they’d let me back in when I returned.”

I finally lifted my gaze to see him watching me, his expression inscrutable. There was a lump in my throat that made it hard to talk, but the guilt was too much, and I had to get it out.

“It was nothing against you. I’d had everything ripped away, my entire future, for a stranger who wasn’t even Human. So I made a plan to save myself.”

Oddly enough, his lips twitched into a smile.

“It was a good one.”

It wasn’t the response I’d expected, and I couldn’t do anything but stare.

“Serenya tried to put protections in place for women who didn’t want to become omegas. She hadn’t exactly been willing when she received the serum, and she’ll be disappointed to learn others are going through the same circumstances despite her efforts. I’ve made arrangements with one of our scouts to return you to Earth the moment you’re ready to go, and there will be a kethral onboard to help manage the discomfort of going through a heat alone if it happens onboard.”

My throat tightened. He’d done everything he could have to correct what he’d done, but going back to Earth wasn’t what I wanted.

Not anymore.

I looked down into the water once more, the little corner he’d brought me to darker than the rest of the River Caverns had been, making it look like we floated in a black hole.

“Thank you.”

I wasn’t sure I meant it that time, but there was nothing else I could say.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Drazien

The archives were empty when we arrived. The familiar scent of old leather and wax wrapped around me the moment we stepped inside, the lack of other scents easing a tension I hadn't realized I still carried.

I watched while Elaina wandered the shelves, counting tables and measuring distances with my eyes to assure myself that the map had been accurate. The longer I’d spent with Elaina, the less I liked putting her at risk, and I couldn’t decide if her being an unknowing lure or an active participant in the trap was worse.

What if she tried to fight one of them?

“Do you think they've noticed me coming here?”

We still didn’t know how large the rebel faction was, but based on what I’d been able to learn, there were enough of them to assume one was around in most crowds.

Which was worrisome.

“I would assume they have. The vendors would have talked by now. Learning our language makes you a threat.”

There was no reason to tell her otherwise. It was the best assumption I could make.

I walked toward the towering shelves lining the western wall. They were constructed of heavy metal, the same as the doors, and were older than any living Morraki.

“If I were following someone, I would stay where I could watch without being seen.”

I slipped into the narrow aisle between two shelves. The stacks blocked almost every line of sight from the tunnel outside as well as most of the room, but it would be easy to move one of the tomes to get a glimpse into other aisles.

Plus, listening was far more important than seeing the target most of the time.

“Like here.”

Elaina came into the aisle, her smaller frame allowing her to walk freely between them where I was forced to angle my shoulders through the confined space.

“I dislike this.”

She raised a brow, causing the need to explain myself.

“I cannot move freely.”

Shrugging, she lifted a hand and placed it on the shelf.

“Then neither can they.”

I froze, gaze sweeping the aisle again. She had a point. Every description of the attackers pointed to them being alphas, which meant they would be my size.

“If you feel threatened, move into one of the rows. It will buy time for me to get closer.”

She nodded while looking around.

“Why are these shelves so close? Was there nowhere else to store books and scrolls?”

Scoffing, I sidestepped out the other end of the row, rolling my shoulders once I was no longer scrunched between delicate stacks.

“Because betas are the administrators, while alphas are the protectors. They created a space that suited them. One meant to keep us out, so we didn’t make a mess of their precious records.”

My lips twitched and I gave her a lopsided grin.

“I believe Humans have a saying about more brawn than brains?”

She smiled, giving a half-hearted chuckle as she dropped her gaze.

Her admission in the River Caverns made it harder to hold back, harder to keep myself from trying to convince her to stay, but it had relieved some of the tension between us. I understood her reasoning and had meant it when I told her that her plan had been smart. In her situation, I’d have done something similar.

What confused me about it all was what had happened in the pools of the River Caverns after I had pleasured her. I hadn’t expected anything, yet she’d allowed me to enter her, even if she hadn’t accepted my knot.

Those thoughts made my shaft twitch, so I steered them towards other things. She chose a scroll at random and took her place at the same table we’d used the other times we’d come to the Archives, and I forced myself to think of nothing but the words on the hide and helping her pronounce them correctly. She had a good ear and was making surprising progress, even knowing that this was what she’d come for.

The center of my chest ached, a black hole opening inside me but refusing to suck away the parts I no longer wanted. If I couldn’t have her, wanting her was pointless.

By the time I felt like we needed to leave, she’d learned several new roots and could break down the meaning of another handful of words. Speed and fluency would come with time, but time was what she didn’t have.

I made one last pass through the Archives while she put the scroll away. The trap no longer felt theoretical, but this place now held a threat it hadn’t before. Elaina enjoyed the Archives, but being the focus of an attack there would change that, whether she realized it or not.

Of course, that didn’t matter if she wasn’t in Korvashan any longer.

“I'll speak with Rhydek and my team tonight. We need to be prepared the next time you return here.”

Her eyes were wide when she looked up at me, but she nodded and swallowed. Whether you wanted to call it bravery or stubbornness, Elaina had more than enough to keep her locked in on the plan.

When we paused for the door to slide open, Elaina slipped her hand into mine, making my heart skip a beat until I remembered it was for show. I’d always been touching her before, and we didn’t want to tip off the rebels that something had changed, so when we were where we could be seen, we had to act like all was normal.

Like she was still my korravalryn.

Korvashan had grown even louder since the start of Khavren. There weren’t many who lived beyond the protection of the ravine, but those clans who lived with the herds or in other parts of Morrakan traveled to Korvashan for the festival. The walkways were crowded, Veyrdrahl’tharvek overflowed with visitors, and every extra space that could be used held a body.

The colorful banners overhead snapped in the wind blowing down from above, and I peeked out at the sky above the ravine. The sight of burgundy and violet clouds made me frown, and I slowed our steps to get a better look.

“They need to see us, and I know we were planning to dine in the Veyr’vokkar arena, but we may need to revise.”

She frowned and looked up at the sky.

“Is it going to storm?”

“It may. A karin like you are familiar with is rare. Water does not fall from our sky during most. A veyr’karin is more likely.”

The crease between her brows deepened as her lips pulled farther down.

“A… blood storm?”

I made an approving noise, but a veyr’karin was no joke.

“Yes. Electrical charges turn the sand in the air to glass, and it can rip the flesh from most creatures.”

Elaina’s face blanched, panic widening her eyes as her lips popped open.

“But…”

I placed my hand on her shoulder, offering her what comfort I could without pushing the boundaries that had risen between us. I wasn’t sure where we stood with each other, so I was being careful not to cross the line.

“We are Morrak. We are prepared for veyr’karin. But the Veyr’vokkar arena is open to the surface, so it would not be safe for you.”

I watched her throat work as she swallowed before nodding her agreement. Even my flesh couldn’t withstand a veyr’karin for more than a few breaths, and her soft skin had no protection at all. It would be shredded in heartbeats.

“We can remain here, on the High Ledge, but it will become crowded as the storm gets closer. Or we can go down to the Market.”

I studied her face and the emotions flashing across it. She didn’t seem to like either option, and I caught myself reaching for her cheek before stopping my arm halfway.

“You don’t have to.”

Her confusion was clear when she focused on me once more.

“What?”

It took a moment to formulate the correct words since there were multiple things I wanted to say to her.

You don’t have to do either.

You don’t have to leave.

You don’t have to be alone.

“If you've changed your mind. About the plan.”

About being bait.

I didn’t need to say the words, she understood what I meant. Her expression hardened, determination written in every line of her as she sucked in a breath and straightened.

“We could get food from the Market, then go to the gardens?”

Accepting her decision, I gave her hand a light tug back towards the main stairwell. It followed the ravine, one side open to the wind, but it was still normal grains of sand pelting my arm as we descended.

I picked a new food vendor in the Market, using a side entrance instead of the main one, and then slipping out once again. I made sure we were seen by enough people that someone would talk and word would get back to whoever needed it that I left her alone on occasion. I hadn’t been more than a few steps away, but they would be looking for any opening.

I let Elaina lead as we walked over to the Fungus Gardens. It wasn’t a place I’d spent much time since it was somewhere mainly meant for couples and families.

My heart gave a painful thump at the reminder, but I ignored it and followed Elaina until she chose a bench in the main cavern. It wasn’t in view of the entrance, but it was close enough that several Morraki passed us on their way deeper into the gardens.

“It is hard to choose the most beautiful place in Korvashan, but this is one of them.”

I knew she was referring to the glowing fungus all around us. Many considered the Fungus Gardens beautiful, even more so than stars in the night sky, but I couldn’t pull my eyes from her to look around. Her scent filled each breath I drew, and it was taking all my focus to keep my limbs to myself.

Halfway through eating, Elaina let out a strange grunt, her brows drawing together as she stared at the food in her hand. It was something she’d enjoyed before, so I wasn’t sure what could be wrong as she let her hand drop to rest on her leg.

“What’s wrong?”

Since I hadn’t been feeding her myself, I hadn’t realized how little she’d eaten, and concern bloomed in my chest.

She looked up at me, brows still scrunched even though she tried to pretend that she was fine.

“Nothing.”

Narrowing my eyes, I set my food aside.

“You stopped eating.”

It still bothered me to hand the food over to her, as if I didn’t care whether she ate it or not, but feeding an omega was part of courting, not something you did to one planning to leave.

“I...”

Her voice cut off as she leaned forward, frowning again. She pressed one hand against her stomach as she set her food back in the container on the bench between us.

“My stomach doesn’t seem to like the dakrethin today.”

Taking the piece she’d been eating from, I lifted it to my nose to be sure I could smell it over the other scents around us. Even after several deep inhales I didn’t find any concerning scents, so I set it aside.

“You never complain.”

She glared at me while holding her breath, as if trying not to gasp.

“I'm not complaining.”

The words were growled through clenched teeth, and I would have grinned if it hadn’t seemed as if she were in pain.

“Don’t hide from me, rethari.”

It was the first time I’d used the name I’d given her since our argument, and her arched brow said all the things we had avoided talking about.

“I'm trying not to. I don’t know what it is.”

I couldn’t ignore my growing concern, and it forced me to rise. I couldn’t face a challenge sitting on my tail, but I still wasn’t sure what she needed.

“Are you ill?”

Elaina still frowned but she shook her head.

“I don't think so.”

I reached out and brushed my hand across her brow before I could stop myself. Usually her skin felt cool to the touch, her body temperature naturally lower than mine, but she felt like another Morraki.

“You have a fever.”

She swatted my hand away and it was a struggle not to let out the growl that built within my chest, but I managed to contain it.

“I'll be fine. You can finish eating.”

When she reached for the food once more I snatched the container out of reach. Even if I didn’t smell any sign of poison, I wasn’t going to let her keep eating food that had possibly been contaminated.

She opened her mouth to protest but all that came out was a gasp. Both hands gripped her belly and she leaned forward, knees clenched together.

Three other alphas had been passing by the bower where we sat and all three heads turned in our direction. I saw their nostrils flare a blink before I drew my next breath, the problem hitting me like a varkuun strike.

One took a step closer and my snarl ripped out before I could stop it. I shifted between Elaina and the trio, blocking their view of her.

“Mine.”

The word echoed around us, too loud, but it made the three alphas move on as my tail wrapped around Elaina’s leg.

Her fingers gripped my wayward limb, making my shaft tighten as I turned to face her. Glazed eyes looked up at me from flushed cheeks, her lips parted as she panted.

“Drazien?”

I took her elbow and pulled her to her feet.

“We're leaving.”

She gave a slight shake of her head before looking around. Another group was approaching along the trail, and we had to get moving before they caught up to us.

“What?”

Urging her away from the coming group, I wrapped every strand of control I possessed around me.

“I have to get you to the shuttle. Now.”

Confusion replaced the pain on her face, and she tried to slow her steps, but her strength was nothing compared to mine. I’d carry her if I had to, but I wasn’t sure I’d be able to let her go once I had my hands on her.

“Wait. Why? Drazien?”

My jaw tightened and I looked into the deep black pools in the center of her multicolored eyes. Eyes that were different to any I’d ever seen before I had looked at the picture in her file.

“You’re out of time, rethari. It’s your trehvyr.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Elaina

Drazien pulled me along, growling at any alpha who looked my way. I was too shocked to resist, still trying to figure out how this could have happened.

There were supposed to be symptoms to warn me. I should have known my heat was coming.

We had just made it to the landing at the High Ledge when I hissed and looked down at my arm. Tiny spots of red bloomed, as if someone had thrown red glitter all over the arm closest to the ravine.

“Zorrash!”

I’d never heard Drazien curse, but I knew the word he snarled from overhearing it. Between that and the tiny pricks of pain, my brain finally caught up and started working again.

“Dravakh’raeshk.”

I tipped my head, trying to work out the phrase, but he’d never used the last part before.

“Trouble?”

He’d pulled me deeper into the cavern where I was protected from the wind by one of the massive pillars. Taking my arm, he turned it to inspect the wounds.

“Trouble stalks. Specifically, you, rethari. Shaevrin is being merciless.”

I looked from him back down at my arm. None of the spots had grown larger than a pinhead, but the act of climbing the stairs had cleared my mind enough for me to understand.

“Veyr’karin?”

I’d never seen him look so…

I couldn’t even name it. I didn’t want to call it defeated, but that was the closest I could come.

“Even if I could get you to the shuttle, it can’t take off with the winds like this. And you—”

He let out a breath as if he couldn’t bring himself to finish. Cramps were still tightening my middle, I felt a fine sheen of sweat along my spine, and the scent of him kept pulling at me, but I could think well enough to make my decision.

Placing my hand over his, I let a small smile pull up my lips.

“Or, perhaps Shaevrin is preventing us from making a mistake.”

His confusion was clear, and he frowned down at me as if I’d said something insane. Perhaps it was, but when I considered what I had here versus what was left for me back on Earth, the choice was obvious.

“I want to stay, Drazien.”

He blinked, as if it took him just as long to process what I’d said as it had taken me to come to terms with going into heat.

Snapping into action once more, he stepped around me and tried to pull me back down the stairs we had just climbed.

“I can take you to the Karzhari. They help omegas through their heat when they don’t want to bond. There are special medicines—”

I kept my feet planted, forcing him to stop or risk pulling me down the stairs.

“Drazien.”

His eyes met mine, the pupils narrowed into thin slits of black bisecting the dark blue. His chest was heaving, but I knew it wasn’t from the climb, and his kethra were glowing blue instead of their usual, steady violet.

“I’m staying,” I repeated, squeezing his hand.

When he continued to stare at me, I huffed a laugh and reached up to cup his cheek. We still hadn’t talked everything through, but the thought of leaving him, of letting all of this go, felt wrong.

I was tired of taking the safe path.

“I told you I had planned to leave. Had. I wanted to feel like I was still in control of my life. But being here, learning your language and culture, has been a dream come true.

“Fear made me think mating a Morraki would be terrible, but then you teased me mercilessly, irritated me to the point I wanted to pull out my hair, and showed in too many little ways to name that you were trying.”

My chest hitched as I sucked in a breath to continue.

“You still need me to catch the rebels. And if you can forgive me for keeping things from you, I can forgive you, too.”

Drazien searched my face as if he expected to find hesitation hidden somewhere, but I was certain. I’d been ready to say I wanted to stay before the incident with the cart, and even though our secrets had rocked my confidence, it hadn’t changed what I wanted.

“You don't understand, Elaina.”

His voice had dropped to little more than a rough whisper, but I reached out and placed my fingers over his lips.

Firm lips that caught my focus for a heartbeat before I said, “I do.”

Pulling away from my touch, he shook his head as I frowned up at him.

“No. This is only what you want now. It may be different than what you want when your trehvyr is over.”

Another cramp tightened my abdomen, stronger than the last and forcing a thin whine from my throat. I’d imagined menstrual cramps when they said it was a symptom of heat, but these were worse than anything I’d experienced before the serum.

I sucked in a slow breath and waited for it to ease before answering.

“I've spent my entire life making decisions because I didn’t want to rely on anyone else. I didn’t believe a relationship could be permanent since everyone I cared about left me.”

His expression didn't change, but I saw something flicker in those dark eyes.

“My mother, my uncle, my nannies, my friends…”

I gave a small, humorless laugh.

“Why would I think mating an alien would be any different?”

He lowered his gaze, shoulders drooping.

“Being alone hardens the soul.”

“No.”

I stepped closer until only a handspan separated us.

“It teaches you what’s fake and what’s real. It teaches you to treasure those who truly care. I believe what you’ve shown me is real, even when you weren’t telling me everything.”

The scent rolling from him wrapped around me again, rain and warm stone filling my lungs until it became difficult to think about anything else. I forced myself to continue before instinct stole the words from me.

“I wanted to stay before the attack.”

His jaw tightened and his chest barely moved as he stared at me as if his life hung on my next words.

“And now?”

I placed my hands on his chest, his flesh jumping beneath my palms as he stiffened. My mouth watered with the desire to lick where his pulse fluttered in his throat, but I couldn’t reach unless I dragged myself up his body.

“I still do.”

The wind howled through the openings along the High Ledge, carrying fine grains of red sand mixed with shards of glass that looked like they had been made from blood. People hurried down from above and moved deeper into the tunnels, but we stood frozen behind the pillar.

“I'm choosing this, Drazien. I'm choosing Morrakan.”

I swallowed, suddenly finding the next words far more difficult as I tried to focus once more.

“And... I'm choosing you.”

For a heartbeat, he simply stared. The fierce alpha who had faced rebels and who knew how many battles without hesitation looked utterly lost.

“You—”

His voice broke and he swallowed as his hands came up to my back. His tail was curled around me as tight as it could be without causing pain, and I knew he’d been holding back.

He still wanted me.

“You are certain?”

I huffed a laugh.

“As certain as I can be about something I don’t completely understand.”

He twitched before locking his muscles once more.

“Your heat—”

I cut him off.

“Isn't making this decision. It might be rushing the forgiveness, and making me impatient for the make-up part of this fight though.”

Despite everything, his mouth twitched, and that smirk I’d missed so much returned full force.

“We can make-up right here…”

I rolled my eyes as he leaned down but let out a moan when his nose stroked the side of my neck. My skin tingled from the brief touch, and I gasped a moment later when his tongue followed along the same path.

“Wasn’t there something about a special Hall for this?”

Another wave of warmth washed through me as I leaned into his frame, his erection digging into my belly. The cavern was suddenly too hot, and my skin prickled beneath my clothing.

Drazien stiffened and stepped back, his tail the only thing keeping him from pulling out of arm’s reach.

“You’re in heat.”

I tried to close the distance between us, but he backed away, holding up his hands and keeping his tail stiff so I couldn’t press against him again.

“I know.”

“We should—”

He hissed and turned his head. It was enough for me to snap out of the fog that had descended over my thoughts again.

His skin was too dark for me to see the blood, but I scented it. He’d stepped back too far, leaving the protection of the column.

“Drazien—”

I shifted to move closer to him, but he kept his hand between us.

“Why are you—”

I was cut off again as footsteps approached from behind me. Drazien’s focus moved over my shoulder, and while he finally took a step closer so that he was safe from the glass in the wind, his face had hardened into sharp lines.

Following the direction of his gaze, I spotted four Morraki hurrying towards us. Three were shrouded from head to toe in robes, even their tails hidden beneath the snapping fabric. Behind them came Rhydek, his massive frame nearly filling the width of the tunnel they came from, nothing more than a hand held up to protect his face.

“There you are. We were worried when you didn’t respond at your meyr’kal.”

Drazien frowned, looking from Rhydek to the other three figures.

“I did not summon the Karzhari yet.”

Rhydek folded his arms, one brow raised. He stood beyond the protection of the column as if the storm winds were nothing more than a pleasant breeze.

“There were reports from others.”

One of the figures approached me, pulling her hood back and offering a reassuring smile. I wasn’t sure Morraki aged the same as Humans, but I would have guessed she was around my age, although one of the others sported wrinkles around her watchful eyes.

“Elaina, we are here to help you prepare.”

My hand moved to Drazien’s tail, still looped around me, and my fingers tightened instinctively. I narrowed my eyes, baring my teeth at her before I realized what I was doing.

“He’s mine.”

Her smile didn’t change.

“He is.”

Her calm voice settled something inside me.

“But it is time. To claim him properly, you must come with me.”

Drazien’s tail slipped from my waist, and he stepped forward before I could respond to what she’d said.

“I was giving her the chance to leave.”

Four sets of strange eyes turned to me, one worried, two shocked, and one that remained calm and patient.

Rhydek’s mouth opened but it was the older Karzhari who spoke.

“The choice is yours, luthra. This alpha, another, or spending your trehvyr alone?”

Drazien and I both snarled at the suggestion of another alpha, and the faintest smile lifted the elder Morraki’s lips. Still, I took a calming breath before responding since I didn’t want them to think I was being influenced by my heat.

“I choose to be with Drazien.”

Rhydek moved between us with the ease of someone who expected Drazien’s reaction to my words. A dark brown hand landed in the middle of Drazien’s chest, a scarred tail winding around his to keep it from coiling around me once more.

“You know the tradition.”

His voice was low and calm, a contrast to Drazien’s bared teeth and deep growl.

“I don't care about tradition.”

Rhydek made a noise that was somehow both a laugh and a scoff.

“You don’t now, but you will.”

His voice remained steady even when he had to sidestep with Drazien to keep us separated.

“Drazien, this isn’t about you.”

Drazien froze but his eyes never left mine, his chest heaving under Rhydek’s palm.

“She needs the chance to prepare without an alpha's instincts overwhelming both of you.”

Drazien’s voice was calmer when he said, “I won't lose control,” but there was a crease between his brows. Rhydek was silent for a long moment before speaking again.

“Are you willing to risk losing her? Or condemning her to Dravkai’kiren?”

The question seemed to strike him harder than any fist could have. I saw it in the way Drazien flinched, finally pulling his gaze from me.

I knew I should have been able to understand the word, but kiren was too similar to karin. I knew kai was negative, but my thoughts were too heavy to move them towards something that made sense. All I was certain of was that it would have been bad for me, because Drazien closed his eyes and let out a soft, “No.”

The single word seemed to cost him, but when he looked at me again, the panic I'd seen earlier had given way to something steadier. Not confidence, but perhaps something I could call hope.

“I'll be waiting.”

I swallowed hard, instincts telling me not to let my alpha out of my sight even as the Karzhari moved to my sides and looped their arms through mine.

“I know,” I said as they turned me.

My eyes stung, but I couldn’t pull them from him as I was led away. Something in my chest felt like it was ripping. Like there were claws tearing at my organs to keep me from allowing more space between us, but I let the Karzhari pull me away until Drazien disappeared from view.

His eyes had followed every step, holding promises I planned to make him keep. He was trusting me to choose my own path, but the path to him led away first.

Sucking in a deep breath, I solidified my resolve and let it hurry my steps. If they had to prepare me to be claimed by him, then I wouldn’t resist, because the sooner they were finished, the sooner I’d get to feel his skin on mine, his tail wrapped around me, and his cock filling me once again.

And then we could see if this bond they spoke of was real.

Chapter Twenty- Seven

Drazien

Allowing her to walk away was the worst form of torture I’d ever endured, and it almost broke me. She’d said she wanted to stay, that she chose me, and then I’d been forced to let her go.

“What’s taking so long?”

My snarl was swallowed by the dark cavern. Rhydek stood far enough away to avoid my lashing tail, but I didn’t miss his chuckle and turned my snarl to him.

“I never thought I’d need to tell the Torvashek to be patient.”

His voice was a low rumble, his brow arched as he met my gaze, not backing down, but also not pressing. Most Morraki had three Veyrakk, three alphas they trusted with their life and their future omega, but he and Teylan were the only two standing with me. If Kael had been on Morrakan he would have been there as well, but with him on the Zeydrassk hunting Skarashk, I had no other to take the final place.

It didn’t matter. Rhydek’s reminder that Elaina would suffer more than I if we failed to follow tradition had been enough for me to regain control. I wouldn’t fail her. Not after she’d chosen me when I’d given her reason not to.

“A bath does not take this long.”

I snarled back, turning to pace the way I’d come, tail still lashing. My kethra shone brighter than the glowing moss on the walls but keeping them calm was the last thing on my mind.

Where was my omega?

A whisper of sound had me whirling to face the entrance to the Bonding Hall. It was a massive cavern, large enough to hold most of the alphas and omegas in Korvashan, and I was dizzy from holding my breath by the time I spotted the first figure walking through the arch.

Not Elaina.

My eyes searched until they fell on a shorter frame than all the rest, her body draped in a violet Shavari’zorr. The color was perfect on her, so similar to the purple dress she’d worn at the gala on Earth.

Had that been truly what had prompted me to choose her? That she would look good with my luth’rein?

Even I couldn’t answer that question. This moment had seemed inevitable since the moment I’d seen her in it, though, and my heart stumbled over the fact that it almost hadn’t come to be.

But she’d chosen to remain.

To stay with me.

To be mine.

Her steps were slow and careful as she moved through the archway and began her descent. She was surrounded by Karzhari, and I wanted to plunge my tail through the heart of the one touching her, but the steadying hand on her elbow was necessary to keep her safe. One misstep and she would tumble to the floor of the Bonding Hall.

My heart pounded so hard it was all I could hear until she was safely on the bottom level of the Hall. It had been shaped like a bowl with rising tiers up the sides, all focus aimed at the mattress currently hidden behind long curtains hanging from the ceiling of the chamber.

Vorrashan usually shone down from the opening in the roof of the cavern, but the veyr’karin punishing Korvashan blocked its light.

Funny how even our mating was a confused jumble of mixed signals. A veyr’karin during Khavren meant a difficult summer ahead, yet a new bonding was a time of celebration and bounty. To bond during Khavren was good fortune, but during a veyr’karin meant the relationship would face trouble.

None of it mattered. If the summer grew too harsh, I would take her from Morrakan. If we faced more trouble, we’d already proven we could make it through together.

The bond was eternal. There was no backing out once it was complete.

The Hall was dark, even for my eyes, but I watched Elaina’s head turn towards me. I knew her gaze found mine, the whisper of a whine reaching me across the space still between us.

I curled my claws into my palms, clenching my jaw and tightening every muscle in my body so I didn’t run to her. If I touched her before the Horns, I’d lose the right to claim her.

The Karzhari stepped between us, blocking our view. I wanted to both curse and thank them, the effort needed to remain where I was diminishing when I couldn’t see Elaina’s lush curves draped in my color.

Turning my head for a moment, I spotted Rhydek, closer than before. A single lunge and he’d be able to grab me.

To stop me from giving in to instinct and ruining the future I’d dared to hope for.

The rebels had lost my undivided focus. Elaina was now my priority, but worry tugged at the edges of my mind.

“Are we sure it’s safe?”

I kept the question quiet so only Rhydek would hear. I didn’t need to explain. We’d already discussed the possibility of the rebels attacking the Bonding Hall. An omega’s heat distracted all unbonded alphas, made us all vulnerable, and even if the Bonding Hall was sacred, we couldn’t count on them ignoring the opportunity it presented.

“The team that protected her on the stairs will guard the entrance. Your unit will be scattered amongst the attendants, along with others I trust.”

Some of the tension in my chest loosened but it wasn’t gone. Nothing would erase it but the death of every Morraki involved with the attacks, and I planned to see that happen.

Just as soon as I claimed Elaina as mine and satisfied her heat.

Even the worry couldn’t stop my shaft from twitching as she made her way to the piles of fabrics waiting for her outside the curtain obscuring the dais. I was leaking enough to leave a wet patch on my pants, but I couldn’t claim her yet. She still had to build her nest, and then I had to defeat any challengers for her.

My lips peeled back, tail lashing as my kethra flared. Anyone who dared think they could take her from me would be lucky to leave the Hall with their lives.

I was so caught up with the thought that I almost didn’t notice what was happening outside the dais. Elaina had stopped to inspect the fabrics the Karzhari had on offer, stacks of everything I’d told them she preferred, as well as a selection of other options. Her arms were full, overflowing with jewel bright colors, but instead of crawling onto the platform, she was backing away.

“No… I—I can’t.”

Her words were laced with panic, and I was crossing to her before I was aware of what I was doing.

“Drazien!”

Rhydek’s voice was sharp, commanding me to stop. I knew what he was going to do, so I darted to the side before sprinting forward.

Our general was a beast capable of taking down anyone in a fight, but he wasn’t as quick on his feet as I was.

I stopped just before I reached Elaina, my chest heaving as I stared at her. Her scent had grown thick and rich, laced with the sweetness of slick and pheromones that made my teeth ache to sink into her.

“Elaina.”

I called her name softly, turning her head towards me. Her eyes were wide, the pupils blown, hiding her multi-colored irises.

“Drazien— I– They—”

She was breathing faster than I was. Short, desperate gasps of air that interrupted what she was trying to say. Clutching the fabrics to her chest, she ducked her face into them as she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, backing away another step.

“Elaina, what’s wrong?”

Rhydek hovered near my shoulder, not dragging me away since I’d been able to stop myself. The Karzhari encircled us, two of them close enough to Elaina to grab her if she tried to move towards me, but she looked more likely to collapse in on herself.

“Rethari, tell me.”

She blinked open eyes swimming with moisture, her face so hopeless it stole my breath.

“I—I don’t know how.”

It was a broken declaration. A desperate plea for help, but I still didn’t understand.

I took a step closer, ignoring the way Rhydek reached for my arm. My tail curved, ready to stab him before he could stop me, because nothing was going to stop me from going to her if that was what she needed, traditions be damned.

“You’re smart, rethari. I’m sure you can figure it out.”

She shook her head again and squeezed the blankets harder, as if she could ball herself up with them. Tremors wracked her body and I could scent the pain she was in, but she kept moving away from the place where she could find relief.

“I’ll help you. Tell me what you don’t think you can do.”

She took a few gulping breaths before her hold on the blankets loosened. When her eyes met mine there was more sense in them, but she still trembled as if she stood out in the winds of the veyr’karin.

“They said—They said I have to… build a nest. I—I don’t know how. Humans don’t nest.”

I remembered how it had bothered me when she hadn’t arranged the bedding in my home. How disappointed I’d been, and how I’d thought that perhaps, once she was comfortable, she would begin to nest.

While she had never gone to the lengths I’d heard some omegas went to, she eventually did add things to the bed. A little at a time, she’d replaced blankets and pillows she didn’t like with others.

Letting my muscles relax, I forced myself to breathe deep, then immediately regretted it when her scent flooded my lungs, making my groin tighten so hard it hurt.

“Rethari, you’re overthinking it. You know how to do this.”

Her eyes narrowed and her lips twitched like she wanted to bare her teeth at me. Her tiny growl followed, and I smirked at her even as instinct urged me to show the little omega who was dominant.

“I don’t.”

Her words dripped conviction, but I shook my head.

“Do you like those blankets?”

The question seemed to surprise her. Her brow furrowed and she looked down at the colorful fabrics before brushing her cheek against the top one.

“Don’t you want to lay in the bed with those, all snuggled deep and cozy?”

When she looked up at me again her face had lost the fierceness, yearning taking its place.

“Yes.”

It was the barest whisper.

“Wouldn’t it feel good if that bed was covered in those blankets, so you could lay there and rest after climbing all those stairs?”

Her lower lip trembled, water filling her eyes again as she sniffled and nodded.

“Yes.”

I tipped my head towards the opening in the curtains, a tiny sliver of the dais showing the bare mattress inside.

“Then why don’t you get comfortable and rest? I’ll take care of everything else.”

Her shoulders sagged, worry leaving her face, replaced by exhaustion, although she offered me a small smile.

“Okay.”

The Karzhari moved out of her way, and she shuffled towards the dais. Everyone held their breath when she paused and looked back at me, but then she turned and disappeared inside, one of the Karzhari closing the curtain behind her.

My shoulders slumped as I let the air burst from my chest, relief making me dizzy until I was sent staggering by a hand slapping my shoulder.

“Good job, Drazien. Now comes the hard part.”

“What?”

I stared at Rhydek, mouth hanging open as he let out a laugh.

“Yeah, waiting for them to get here is nothing. Now you have to wait for her to be happy with her nest.”

His laughter echoed through the cavern as he walked away, leaving me standing there wondering how I was supposed to keep myself from going to her when her scent was swirling around me and I could hear her little mutters as she made the nest where I would claim her.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Elaina

The curtains were closed behind me, muffling the sounds from the Bonding Hall enough that they were little more than ignorable whispers. I knelt in the middle of the mattress, blankets clutched against my chest, soft enough that my fingers sank into them, but I couldn't seem to make myself move.

Nest.

The word echoed around my head with all the strangeness of an alien custom.

Humans didn't nest.

The Karzhari had looked at me as though I should know what to do. Drazien’s words had convinced me it wasn’t as hard as it felt, and even my instincts seemed convinced I understood something my mind stubbornly refused to grasp.

The empty mattress beneath me certainly didn't hold any clues.

The dais was larger than I'd expected, its smooth stone floor almost entirely hidden beneath an enormous mattress raised just enough that it seemed to float. Curtains hung from the top of the cavern far overhead, like walls around the edges of the platform, and when I tipped my head back, I realized there was an opening directly above me. Burgundy clouds churned overhead, but somehow, no sand poured in.

Sighing, I focused on the space around me once more. The Karzhari had offered me every color blanket imaginable, even several patterned fabrics woven with threads that shimmered whenever they caught the light. I’d snatched up several, the softness of them making me want to wrap them around myself, until I was overwhelmed with too many choices.

I looked around one last time, hoping for some sign of how to proceed, before setting my armful down near the center of the mattress.

I frowned immediately, glaring at the pile as if it had offended me somehow. The colors were jumbled together, overlapping, in a tangled maze that hurt my head.

I picked them up again, trying to figure out what to do. Each time I tried to set the pile down to dig through it, the sight of it on the mattress made me want to growl.

A frustrated noise escaped me before I could stop it.

“This is ridiculous.”

No one answered, because for the first time in what felt like days, I was alone.

The quiet beyond the curtains made the cavern more intimidating. I would have preferred them to be drawn back so I could see what was happening, but I also didn’t want anyone watching me as I fumbled through what they expected me to do.

Couldn’t we just skip this part?

The idea of Drazien fucking me in front of who knew how many Morraki made my stomach squirm in an odd way that wasn’t quite unpleasant, and it was better than the idea of the curtains pulling back to reveal my utter failure.

What did they expect of me?

On Earth, birds built nests. Animals lined dens with leaves and fur. Humans... bought furniture.

I buried my face in one of the blankets with a groan.

“I don't know what I'm doing.”

The fabric smelled faintly of cedar and sunshine, clean in a way that somehow reminded me of the laundry room in my mother's house.

A memory flashed through my mind unexpectedly. She'd always insisted that the spare quilt belonged at the foot of the guest bed because a person’s feet got cold first. Plus, it was easy to find if you needed it elsewhere.

I blinked. There was no chance of me getting cold on Morrakan, but I still found myself folding one of the heavier blankets across the end of the mattress.

I frowned at the rectangle of color. The rest of the bed was so drab, and the blankets were far softer than whatever material the mattress was made of. I had more of them, so there was no reason to only place one at the foot.

I folded a couple more, placing them beside the first. Then I took one that was a gorgeous teal and stretched it over more of the mattress.

A pair of larger cushions found their way to the opposite side, where they could support someone's back. It was hard to say where the head and foot were on a round bed, but with the cushions stacked together, I could pretend they were a headboard.

I stared at the growing arrangement, but some part of me wasn’t happy with the straight line bisecting the round mattress. I was losing space by making it straight, so I pushed and prodded until they curved along the edge. It provided more room in the middle, and with how large Drazien was, we’d need it.

The thought of him lying in the bed made my breath catch, and wetness slid down my thighs. It kept happening, no matter how many times I tried to wipe it away, so I’d given up, but at least the cramps had eased.

Trying to picture him with his head on the cushions, I reached for more blankets and selected a thick woven throw in deep violet. It reminded me of the evening sky just after sunset on Earth, when blue surrendered to darkness, but the stars hadn't appeared yet, and it matched the color of his kethra.

It belonged in the center.

I didn't know why, it simply did, so I didn’t fight the urge to put it there. Once it lay spread across the mattress, I added two softer blankets along the sides, then several pillows of different sizes along the edges, until I could see him resting comfortably, head and shoulders supported, arms draped overtop the extra pillows.

The knot in my chest eased and I breathed deeper. I adjusted one of the cushions, then another. One seemed too firm, so I replaced it, and the patterned throw looked better folded than spread flat, so it was switched with those at the foot.

Without realizing it, I found myself humming quietly beneath my breath while I rearranged everything for what had to be the twentieth time. Eventually I sat back on my heels, inspecting the bed.

The mattress had disappeared beneath layers of fabric. It wasn't elegant or symmetrical. It certainly wasn't anything an interior designer would photograph for a magazine. It looked like something some eclectic grandma would have in her bedroom, with piles of books and reading glasses scattered around, light refracting off the crystals sitting on the windowsills.

It felt like the home I’d always wanted.

My breath caught as I realized it was exactly what my bed would have looked like on Earth if I’d been given free choice of anything I wanted.

“Nessha.”

A cozy little safe space where I could hide from the world.

I smiled despite the heat building beneath my skin. I should have had more faith in instincts. I knew how powerful they could be.

Reaching out to smooth a wrinkle, I startled when the sound of a horn echoed through the cavern. Low and powerful, the vibration rolled through the stone beneath the mattress as the curtains lifted, leaving me staring into the dark cavern beyond the little space I’d made mine.

My smile faded as clarity returned for a moment.

The ceremony.

My pulse quickened as I looked around. Dark shapes now filled the tiers that had been empty when I’d walked past them, the quiet shush of motion impossible to ignore once I was aware others were there.

Watching.

My eyes kept moving, searching, until I finally spotted Drazien. He was where I'd first seen him, still pacing, every muscle drawn tight across his bare chest, his usually violet kethra shining vivid blue. His braid swung as he made a sharp turn, his focus never leaving me.

Nothing else existed in that moment. Not the crowd, or the Karzhari. Not the Hall itself or the storm raging overhead.

Only those impossibly dark eyes, like black pools I could lose myself in.

Then movement shattered the moment. Shapes surged from the edges of the red circle on the floor. Half a dozen massive alphas, sprinting straight towards me.

My stomach dropped and my mouth opened, but the scream stuck in my throat.

The rebels.

The thought flashed through my mind so fast my body was already tensing for the blow I knew would come. The one that would steal the future I’d finally chosen.

“Drazien!”

His name tore from my throat before memory caught up. The packet had mentioned alphas were allowed to challenge for the right to claim the omega during the ceremony. That I wasn’t guaranteed to be claimed by the Morraki who chose me, because according to their laws, I belonged to whichever alpha touched me first.

My head jerked back to Drazien. He was no longer staring at me. Instead, he was focused on his opponents, the calm on his face a warning they should have heeded.

He reached one of the challengers who swung a heavy fist that he slipped past with frightening ease before driving his shoulder into the other male's chest hard enough to lift him off his feet. Another rushed at his back, but he spun to face the alpha before I could cry out a warning.

Violence wasn’t new to me. Fighting had been a necessary part of training. It was something I’d watched and analyzed more times than I could count.

But it had never made my core throb the way it did to watch Drazien’s lithe form spinning and reaching, swinging and ducking. The warriors were fighting for the right to stand where Drazien stood, to claim me, but he was fighting to keep me.

My fingers clenched around the edge of the mattress. I should have been horrified by the blood splattering around the alphas, but I couldn't look away. Every movement Drazien made was deliberate.

Calculated.

Beautiful.

He flowed through the attackers like water finding a path downhill, never wasting motion, never striking twice where once would do. Blood pooled across the stone, some of it his, but most of it belonging to those who dared try to take what was his.

Every time another warrior fell, Drazien's gaze found mine again, as if reminding himself why he was fighting. When the last challenger staggered backward, clutching a bleeding jaw, silence settled over the Hall and he finally stopped moving.

Chest heaving, shoulder split and oozing where claws had caught him, he stared at me with single-minded focus. Blood dripped from his knuckles and his lip was swollen, and when he gave me his signature smirk, his teeth were stained red.

He looked absolutely terrifying.

And utterly magnificent.

“Mine.”

My voice rang through the cavern, making Drazien’s grin grow. He began a lazy stroll towards me, climbing the three steps at a measured pace.

“There’s my rethari.”

My heart fluttered at his husky words, my world narrowed to the male standing before me. He was a shadow in the dark, only his markings and the reflection of light off his teeth assuring me he was truly there, standing at the edge of the bed.

My hand slid over the soft fabric beneath me as I leaned back, reminding me of my accomplishment.

“I made a nest.”

The words spilled out before I could catch them, silly on their own, but he looked at me like I’d said something far more scandalous.

“You did. For me?”

His fangs flashed, catching my attention. A shiver passed through me, tightening my already hard nipples as I nodded.

“For us.”

The words came out nothing more than a whisper, but I knew he heard me. Something in his expression shifted, and he reached out, running a claw down my cheek and making my heart stutter.

“For us,” he echoed.

The blood on his hands should have revolted me. Standing so close, I could see how he was speckled with it, but for some reason it only made me more desperate to pull him against me.

“You won.”

His eyes narrowed slightly and his tail lashed once behind him, his grin turning sharper.

“You doubted me?”

Shaking my head, I leaned back farther, until my spine hit the mattress, my head on the pillows.

“Never.”

I spit the word, turning it halfway into a growl, and Drazien released that wonderful vibration he’d made when I was sick. The one that sounded like a purr and made my muscles melt.

“Are you ready, rethari?”

He didn’t need to explain the question. There was only one thing on my mind, and judging by the tent in the front of his pants, he was thinking about it too.

All I could do was nod, my hands fumbling at the belt holding the robe around me. It was as soft as the blankets, the silk cool against my heated flesh, but I didn’t want anything between us, even if it would have been more modest to leave it closed.

“Claim me.”

The second the words left my lips Drazien tensed, his kethra flaring so bright I had to squint. By the time I blinked the sting away he was naked, climbing onto the mattress and up my body.

My breath caught at the feel of his rough skin brushing over mine. He was all muscles and scars, built for the rugged world he came from, while I was soft. He prowled over me like a predator ready to feast, his weight settling between my thighs and pressing his length against me so hard my heart skipped a beat.

Even if I’d already taken him inside me once, his size was intimidating, and this time, I would take his knot too. It had to be locked inside me when he bit me for the claim to count, but instead of scaring me the way it had before, the thought made my core clench, fresh slick spilling out of me.

Drazien leaned down, running his nose along the side of my neck as he groaned.

“I can smell you. Your desire.”

Shivering, a whine escaped my throat. I felt his tongue against my pulse, the raised lines along the top of it scraping, sending bolts of electricity straight to my clit.

I knew what they felt like.

How good he was at using them and the split tip of his tongue.

“Once you’re mine, I’m going to taste you again. I’m going to drink your slick in front of all of these alphas who wish they could have even a single drop of that sweet nectar you’re making for me.”

It was hard to think with him talking like that. The idea of him going down on me in front of everyone in the cavern should have made me uncomfortable, but it only made the throbbing in my center grow stronger.

“It’s too late to escape, rethari. You’re mine now, and I’m never letting you go.”

My purr rose to join his, because I didn’t want him to.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Drazien

Having her soft, curvy body beneath me was something I’d thought about innumerable times since I first saw her at the gala, wearing my color. To hear her tell me to claim her… it was a struggle not to slam into her and do exactly that.

“I don’t want to escape. I want you.”

Something in my chest clenched at her response. I wanted to bury myself in her until my knot kept us joined, and then I wanted to sink my teeth into the soft skin of her neck, binding us for eternity if the legends were right.

Instead I shifted my hips, dragging my shaft along the cleft between her thighs as I leaned down to press my lips to hers. Kissing was a novelty, something the Morrak hadn’t done prior to the Torvakai claiming a Human, but I’d heard the whispers about my people trying it. Seen the occasional couple attempting it.

They were changing us.

Kissing might seem minor, but I could understand the fear that Humans might change more fundamental parts of Morrakan. When Rhydek first assigned me to search out the whispers and hints of who was behind the attacks on the omegas, I had almost sympathized with them.

But when I pulled back to look down into Elaina’s glazed eyes, her round pupils no longer strange to me, I didn’t feel that way anymore. I could no longer excuse lashing out from fear. No longer keep myself emotionless when it was my mate who was in danger.

“Drazien, please.”

Her whisper had my shaft growing impossibly harder, and I couldn’t wait. I shifted my hips until my tip caught in her entrance, then pressed forward. I tried to force myself to go slow, the way she had in the River Caverns, but the feel of her hot wetness spreading around me had a snarl building in my chest, and I turned my head to bite into a pillow beside us as my claws ripped holes in the blankets.

Small hands grasped the sides of my face, tugging me until I released the pillow to look down at her.

“Stop wasting time.”

My hips jerked forward without permission. Elaina stiffened and gasped, making me freeze until she melted beneath me, slick gushing from her tight hole.

Her fingers scrabbled at my shoulders, pulling at me as her heels dug into the back of my thighs.

“More.”

Her demand was just as insistent as my instincts, urging me to hurry. To fill her, and knot her, and make her mine, but I didn’t want to go too fast and hurt her.

“I will give you everything you need, rethari. Patience.”

The sound she made was half groan, half gasp as I pushed deeper into her. Her channel fluttered around me, as if trying to pull me in more or push me out, but unable to decide which it wanted to do.

“This moment has to be perfect.”

Eyes that had fluttered shut opened again, pinning me as her lips pulled back with a growl.

“This moment has to happen. You’re going too slow. I won’t break.”

There were only so many challenges an alpha could ignore.

Covering her lips with mine, I thrust my tongue between her teeth and snapped my hips forward, swallowing her gasp. Without letting her up for air, I gripped her sides and altered our angle so I could press deeper into her while dragging along her front wall the way I’d discovered she liked.

Sliding one hand down to hitch her knee higher, I moved the other up to collar her throat as I ended our kiss.

“You want more, rethari? I’ll give you as much as you can handle.”

Her lips were parted, eyes wide as she panted. Her hands had moved to the sheets, curling into them as if they would give her purchase.

I withdrew before slamming forward again, her stretched opening kissing the edges of my knot. It had already started to swell, the sides bulging wider than the rest of my shaft. I needed to get it inside her before it grew too much more.

“You’re going to take all of me this time. Vorran and zulkar. We will be locked together until I’ve filled you with every drop of my seed.”

Her eyelids fluttered and started to close but I let out a snarl, forcing her to focus on me once more. Little whimpers spilled from her throat each time I forced myself deeper, but the fluttering of her channel and the slick spilling around my shaft told me it was pleasure, not pain.

She writhed against me, her body moving to the rhythm I set. Her hands left the bedding to grip my wrist, nails biting into my flesh, but the tiny pricks of pain only made me grin.

“Squeeze harder, rethari. You want more? Show me how much you want it.”

Her eyes were black under the dark red light spilling down from above, her pupils so large the brown and green was lost. When her lips peeled back the tinted light made it look like her teeth were coated in blood, and a shiver went down my spine that had my tail wriggling loose from the coil around her leg to join my shaft at her center.

The tip of it swiped up and down her folds as I plunged in and out of her, moving like my tongue did when I licked her. It circled her little nub, making her back arch and her eyelids flutter again, but a warning growl kept her eyes locked on mine.

“Show. Me.”

I punctuated the demand with hard thrusts, rocking her entire body. Cushions were falling off the edges of the nest, but I couldn’t worry about destroying it when I was focused on destroying her.

Her hands clenched, nails biting through the thin flesh on my inner wrist. I knew if I got anything near her bared teeth she would bite, and I was tempted to lean down and let her.

The thought of her mouth on me, biting, drawing blood, sent another shudder down my spine that made my knot swell more. If I didn’t get it into her before it grew much thicker, I wouldn’t be able to without causing damage.

I could never hurt her, so that meant I had to hurry.

I moved the knee I held higher, giving me more space to lean forward and slam into her. Her other was clenched around me, pulling me into her each time I thrust. Wet sounds filled the space around us, and the scent of her slick and my leaking need combined into an intoxicating aroma that had me ready to spill before I completed my task.

“Almost there. Do you still want more?”

The edges of her eyes were starting to tighten. Her jaw was clenched, and my blood welled around her fingernails, but her pleasure was edging into something more uncomfortable.

A whine was all she could give me.

Sliding my index finger up along her neck until I could press it against her jaw, I forced her head to turn so I could lean over her and place a kiss just below her ear without the risk of her snapping at me.

“I want to give it to you. I will give it all to you. Just relax and let me in.”

Her throat moved under my palm as she swallowed. I licked out, tracing the edge of her ear with my tongue, and felt her shiver, a grin stretching my lips wide.

My hips never stopped moving, stopped pressing. The top portion of my knot could slip in and out of her, but she still had to take the widest portion.

Moving my tail away from her pleasure button, I pressed it against her other opening as I let my tongue trail down the side of her neck until it caught in the vee between my fingers. Lapping at her flesh, her moan vibrated into my hand before it reached my ears, only serving to make me harder.

“Let. Me. In.”

I growled the words into her ear, punctuating each with a thrust as my tail pushed harder. When it breached her tight ring I let my teeth drag against her skin as I pressed my knot into her.

Her moan slipped into a whine that grew higher in pitch the harder I pushed, but I didn’t let up. I was throbbing, ready to release the moment my knot ballooned, I just needed her to go with me.

My tail moved within her back passage, and I let her knee fall to the side so I could press my thumb to her bud. Her neck was slick with saliva from where I held my teeth against her, waiting for the instant I could claim her.

She was mine, and every planet in this galaxy and the next needed to see my mark on her and know she was claimed.

“Drazien…”

My name on her lips, uttered so close to my ear, had my hips snapping forward on instinct. My knot finally popped through her opening, lodging behind her pelvic bone and inflating so fast my head spun, but I was still aware enough to clench my jaw just that fraction more to pierce her skin.

Her blood flooded my mouth as the first spurt of my seed left me. Elaina jerked in my hold, screaming as her release rushed through her, but my grip on her jaw held her in place as I claimed her.

She was mine.

Mine.

And I was hers.

But even in the high of the moment, as euphoria flooded through me and a new warmth bloomed in my chest, there was a niggling reminder in the back of my mind that she still wasn’t safe. The rebels were still out there, still a threat, and she was still planning to place herself in danger to help me catch them.

My eyes slid closed as I pulled my teeth from her neck and licked over the place I’d bitten. Begging Shaevrin to be kind, I slid my arms around my mate and rolled us over, because the plan that had seemed so logical before suddenly went against every instinct I had.

I had thought I could control the danger.

I had agreed to treat her as a partner.

But now I wanted to hide her away in the deepest tunnels I could to make sure no one ever found her and threatened her safety.

Chapter Thirty

Elaina

His knot shifting inside me as he rolled us over set off another orgasm that stole my breath and every thought I’d ever had. Nothing had ever felt that good.

That right.

My chest heaved as I lay atop Drazien, trying to remember who I even was. There was a new tightness inside my chest, a burning cord that seemed to sink from me into the male beneath me, but it was hard to focus on that with all the other sensations rolling through my body.

He’d bitten me.

Claimed me in the way of his people.

For some reason I had thought that would be the end of my heat. That his bite and the supposed bond it created would flip the switch, and I’d be fine again, but despite having two back-to-back orgasms, need still throbbed between my legs.

“Drazien… I…”

I couldn’t form the words.

His hand ran from the back of my head down my spine until he gripped my ass. The other held my hip, as if assuring I stayed in place, but the pressure behind my pubic bone ensured I couldn’t go anywhere. We were locked together, his knot swollen inside me, keeping every jet of cum I felt him release trapped inside too.

“Take what you need.”

The words made no sense until I realized my hips were moving. He might not be able to fuck me with his knot inflated, but it wasn’t necessary to move in and out to scratch the itch plaguing me.

Placing my palm in the center of his chest, I pushed myself upright. The change in where his knot pressed had me gasping and shuddering, my core clenching around the still-hard shaft inside me.

“Why?”

It was a struggle to think, but that was the question at the top of my mind that burst out on a whine.

Why did I still feel like this?

Why hadn’t my heat ended?

Why did it seem like I felt an echo of my lust within my chest?

I moved my knees into a better position, hissing at the tugging within my core. Each motion was torturous bliss, setting off sparks along nerves saying they were overstimulated but still demanding more.

More.

I circled my hips, moaning as shivers ran through me. I hadn’t realized with the fullness and pressure of his knot that his tail was still inside me too, and my lungs stuttered when he began to slide it in and out in time with my circles.

It was overwhelming.

Placing my other hand on his chest to keep me steady, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I had no concern for the other Morraki in the room. I’d completely forgotten about anything beyond the male beneath me and the pleasure coursing through my veins.

“Dra—”

I couldn’t even get his whole name out, my breath stolen by how every nerve in my core was being stimulated at once. His shaft stretched me, his knot digging into that place that made me see stars, and his tail just added to it, moving in and out of me at a coaxing pace that had me trembling as shivers ran through my body.

“How?”

His hands came up to cup my breasts, kneading and squeezing just hard enough to make me hiss before easing. His claws raked the flesh, leaving lines of fire behind that led to the peaks of my nipples.

“You are an omega. I claimed you.”

He said it as if those two facts explained everything, and if he was right, I didn’t know how I’d almost walked away from this. If I had known what it would be like, how it would feel to be trapped on his knot, I’d have been on him the moment I’d awakened next to him on the ship.

My core fluttered around him, his shaft flexing inside me in response. I’d never been one of those girls able to have multiples, yet somehow I was already on the verge of another.

If the Morrak wanted more Human omegas, all they needed to do was let them know about their knots and how mind-blowing the sex was, and they’d have a mob trying to board their ship.

I gasped when Drazien shifted, leaning up to take one of my nipples into his mouth. The hand it had replaced slid around my ribs and up to my neck, taking hold of my nape.

I lost all ability to think when his grip tightened and he began to buck up into me, jolting my whole body. Each jerk yanked on the knot within me and crammed my breast harder against his mouth, until teeth scratched the sensitive flesh and the sensations all scrambled together.

Drazien was everywhere.

Pressed to my front.

Holding my back.

Invading my ass.

Inside me.

Desperate for some way to ground myself, I ran my hands up until I reached his ridges. They were the perfect size to grip, and I felt an explosion of lust burst through my chest when my nails dug into the place where they connected to his scalp.

“Please.”

I didn’t know what I was asking for. Pain and pleasure, need and overwhelm, all tangled within me, leaving me gasping and trembling and unable to think beyond reaching the peak that was so close.

Drazien shifted his head and shoulders, and I opened my eyes to find his neck bent in front of me. His mouth was still on my nipple, tormenting it with his teeth and tongue, but I didn’t need him to tell me what to do.

I could see the throb of his vein within his neck. The flutter beneath his dark skin coupled with the thick scent of him rising from that point had my mouth watering, and when he increased the pressure on the back of my neck, I leaned closer.

He smelled so good.

He felt so good inside me.

But I needed something more.

I didn’t realize I was still moving until my nose bumped his skin. Sucking in a quick breath, my eyes rolled back as he filled my lungs.

My jaw opened without conscious thought, my mouth pressing to his rough flesh before I could think twice about it. There was a mineral note mixed with the saltiness I would expect from sweat, and the taste only made my mouth water more.

I needed it.

Needed to taste him.

Needed to mark him.

Drazien’s movements had grown faster, and he was letting out a low growl against the flesh of my breast. He squeezed my nape, demanding without words, and something feral rose inside me.

He wanted me to bite him?

Well if I was his, then he was mine, and everyone needed to see it.

My jaw clenched, the effort to bite through his flesh making my teeth ache before they punched through. The metallic tang of his blood seeped into my mouth, feeling and tasting exactly like I had licked a hot stone, but oddly enough, I liked it.

Triumph mixed with the euphoric rush as my core clenched, but it was his teeth sinking into the flesh of my breast around my nipple that sent me over the edge.

I released his neck with a scream, tossing my head back as I spasmed around his cock. It went on and on, growing stronger instead of fading away, until I ran out of breath and couldn’t hold myself up any longer.

I would have collapsed backwards against his legs if his arm hadn’t been around me to hold me to his chest. I moaned weakly and twitched as he leaned back and pulled me down with him, but my brain was too fried to do anything more.

Cheek pressed over his heart, eyelids too heavy to lift, I listened to the steady thump slow as his hand moved up and down my spine. My stretched channel gave the occasional flutter which pulled an answering twitch from his shaft, but I was too wrung out to even moan over how bloated I felt with the amount of cum he’d released inside me.

As I caught my breath and feeling returned to my extremities, I examined the new sensation in my chest. The one that echoed with feelings of satisfaction and wonder.

The bond.

It had to be.

I focused on that strange warmth, trying to separate what belonged to me from what didn't.

Satisfaction was easy. I was exhausted, wrung out, and so comfortable sprawled across Drazien that I wasn't sure I could move even if the cavern started collapsing around us.

But the wonder and faint thread of disbelief beneath it weren’t completely mine.

I opened my eyes and shifted my head enough to blink up at the alien I’d just bitten.

“Drazien?”

His eyes had already been locked on mine, so he only arched a brow, waiting.

“Is this the bond?”

The hand moving along my spine stopped and I lifted my head enough to get a better look at him. His expression was open in a way I'd rarely seen, but something shifted through the warmth inside my ribs.

Wariness?

I pressed my palm against the center of my chest. The sensation was hard to describe, but if I had to, it felt like there was a fishing hook caught behind my ribs, next to my heart, tugging toward the Morraki beneath me.

“I can feel it. It's like... like there's something in me, that isn’t quite me.”

His kethra flashed before dimming, and I felt the way he was trying to pull his emotions under control. His lips twitched, and the amusement that followed as he bucked his hips, shifting his knot inside me and making me gasp, was unmistakable.

“Well, I am inside you.”

His grin widened as I glared.

“It wasn’t bad enough seeing you laugh at me all the time, now I can feel it.”

He huffed and his hand went back to stroking me.

“I’m sure you’ll find a way to tune me out.”

His grin was still there, amusement still flowing between us, but I didn’t miss the undercurrent of something that felt like worry beneath it.

The realization that he still thought I’d wanted to leave stole whatever sarcastic response I'd been about to make. It made my throat tighten, and his smile faded as he searched my face.

“What is it?”

I swallowed, trying to shove my guilt away.

“Nothing.”

His brow arched and his hand stopped so he could tap on my back, directly over where I could feel the bond anchored.

“That’s a lie.”

I was glad I could feel what he didn’t want to tell me but irritated it worked both ways. Groaning, I dropped my cheek back onto his chest so I didn’t have to hold my head up anymore.

“This is going to be annoying.”

His chest vibrated beneath me, but he didn’t let me change the subject.

“There will be no more secrets.”

I couldn’t argue with the wave of relief brought by the knowledge that I didn’t have to worry about him hiding anything more from me, but I let out a sigh, trying to pull my thoughts together. It was hard to focus when I still felt like I burned with a fever even if the cramps had stopped and the need was satisfied for the moment.

The silence that settled between us was different from the ones we'd shared before. There was no anger hiding beneath it. No suspicion or secret plans.

For most of my life, I'd survived by keeping pieces of myself separate. Work was work. Home was home. My thoughts belonged to me, and no one could take them unless I chose to share.

Now there was someone who could feel enough of my emotions to know when I wasn't being honest.

It should have caused panic. Fear. Something other than relief.

“I meant it.”

His hand stopped stroking again, but I pushed on.

“When I said I was choosing you.”

The words sounded inadequate, but they were the truth. Drazien said nothing, and I shifted my head to look at him. He was staring at me, eyes wide, an almost vulnerable expression on his face.

“I believe you.”

His voice was low and husky, as if he didn’t want it to leave the platform.

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

A flicker of something passed through the bond before he could hide it.

Fear.

It disappeared so quickly I almost thought I'd imagined it.

“Drazien?”

His jaw tightened.

“You wanted to leave. Your trehvyr can make you say things…”

Understanding came as he trailed off.

“You think I'll change my mind when it's over.”

He didn't answer.

He didn't need to.

I pushed myself higher against his chest. The movement reminded me that we were still intimately connected, but for the moment the sensation was secondary to everything else.

“Drazien, I didn't decide to stay because I was in heat.”

His expression hardened, but I could feel the uncertainty beneath it.

“I changed my mind before this started. I wanted to stay before the cart incident, and I knew you didn’t just think of me as a piece of bait you got to keep after you finished your job.”

His eyes searched mine, as if needing more proof that I was telling the truth than what he could surely feel.

It had happened so gradually I hadn't noticed. Maybe it had started when he'd tried to teach me his language, or when he'd carried me home from the River Caverns.

Maybe it was every time he'd teased me until I forgot to be afraid of him, or the moment he arrived in my apartment and frightened the movers.

Every infuriating smirk.

Every time he'd fed me.

Every time he'd made me feel as though I wasn't invisible.

“I think I chose you a long time before I admitted it to myself.”

Something powerful surged through the bond. So many emotions tangled together that I couldn't separate them.

Relief.

Wonder.

Possession.

Something softer that made my chest ache.

Drazien stared at me as if I'd just handed him something precious and he didn't know what to do with it, and I found myself smiling.

“You're not going to say anything?”

“I fear I will only aggravate you.”

I huffed a laugh.

“That's never stopped you before.”

Sounds echoed through the quiet chamber, and for the first time I remembered we weren't alone. Somewhere within the dimness, the Bonding Hall was filled with Morraki. The Karzhari, Rhydek, maybe even the rebels.

But those problems were outside the nest, and they could wait a little longer.

I rested my head over Drazien's heart again. His arms tightened around me, not trapping me there, but holding me close.

“You are certain?”

The question made my eyes burn. After everything, he was still asking. Still giving me the opportunity to say no even if there was no going back from being bonded.

I turned my face and pressed a kiss against his chest, letting the answer flow silently between us. His joy warmed the bond, and I smiled against him until I felt something else.

Amusement.

My eyes narrowed.

“What?”

He widened his eyes as if he had any chance of looking innocent with his teeth gleaming in the red light.

“Nothing.”

I growled and his chest started shaking beneath my cheek. I pushed myself up enough to glare at him properly.

“What’s so funny?”

His teeth pressed into his bottom lip in a way that made me want to lean forward and bite it myself, until he said, “You.”

My eyes narrowed further, dragging back up to meet his.

“Me?”

“You spent half the voyage to Morrakan planning your escape.”

I scoffed.

“I did not spend half the voyage planning. I spent it passed out, too sick to think.”

He acted like he hadn’t heard me.

“Then you arrived and argued about everything.”

I leaned back farther, going to cross my arms over my chest until I brushed over the second bite mark he’d left on my breast.

“Because you were wrong about everything,” I hissed at him.

His grin only widened as he reached up to tweak the nipple he’d claimed, making me gasp and jerk as my core clenched in response.

“And now you’ve bitten me.”

I eyed the mark I'd left on his neck, a small thrill of satisfaction going through me. A purr began to throb between us, and I realized it wasn’t his.

His grin widened.

“Oh, shut up.”

I rolled my eyes and started to look away before he could see my smile, but he rolled us over, taking hold of my jaw so I was forced to look up at him.

The bond betrayed me anyway. He knew exactly how I felt about seeing my bite on his neck.

The same way he felt when he looked at the two he’d left on me.

There would be time later to worry about the rebels, and the trap, and what being bonded actually meant. Time to think about the life I'd left behind and the one I'd somehow built here without realizing it.

For the moment, my focus was my mate, and how much I liked his teeth on me.

“Claim me again.”

I didn’t have to ask him twice.

Chapter Thirty-One

Drazien

The first thing I noticed when I awoke was the wet heat wrapped around my tail. No matter how we fell asleep, it always seemed to find its way to her core.

I gave it a tentative wiggle and felt Elaina tense, a wave of pleasure pouring through the link between us. Focusing on it, I tried different motions until I found one that increased her pleasure, and kept going until she clenched around my tail, slick gushing from her center.

I had her on her back and my head between her thighs before her orgasm finished, lapping up her fluids. She was sweet and musky, her flavor laced with traces of mine after days of rutting and knotting her until her heat finally broke.

“Drazien.”

I growled when her hands closed around my ridges, a shock going straight to my shaft and making it twitch against the nest. I was ready for more, but I could feel how sore and tired she was, so I pulled away and smoothed my palms up her legs as I crawled back up to lie beside her.

“Yes, rethari?”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Are you ever going to tell me what that means?”

Lips pulling back, I traced a finger over her new luth’rein. They had changed to match mine once I’d claimed her, and the violet branches looked just as good on her tanned flesh as her Shavari’zorr had.

“What do you think it means?”

A crease formed between her brows, but I could feel the war within her. My touch, especially when I brushed over my bite marks, was distracting, arousing, and it only made my grin wider as I continued and she struggled to think past the lust.

She might be sore and tired, but she still wanted me as much as I did her.

Unfortunately, her needs outweighed our wants.

“Well, I know ari means little or small, even though it’s not always a reference to size. But I haven’t heard anything similar to reth.”

I hummed, letting my finger dip down to trace the bite I had left around her nipple. Her kethra rippled, flaring brighter as I circled it, the flesh tightening.

“Reth is…”

I paused, making her wait as I switched to tracing the other bite I’d left on her chest, right over her heart. I hadn’t even thought about it at the time, but I was a bit surprised that they had all become part of her luth’rein, even the ones on her thighs and ass.

I felt her impatience, so I finally gave in.

“Thorn. Barb. Something sharp that causes annoyance.”

She gasped, her eyes going wide as her mouth popped open, but despite her fake affront, I felt her amusement.

“Little thorn? Small and annoying? That’s what you call me?”

Chuckling, I threw back the blanket and climbed from the bed.

“In my defense, it was, is, accurate.”

A pillow smacked into me from behind and I turned to arch a brow at my omega.

My mate.

I still wasn't used to the word. I doubted I ever would be.

My eyes dragged down her body, every instinct in me urging me to climb back into the nest and lock my knot inside her once more, but she needed more than rutting. She’d barely drunk more than a few sips of water or eaten anything over the past few days of her heat, and while an alpha’s seed provided enough to support an omega during that time, she needed more sustenance now.

Her brow was raised when I dragged my attention back to her face, and I realized I’d lost track of what we’d been saying.

“What?”

“You were staring.”

I shrugged, turning to fully face her, and I wasn’t the only one distracted by a nude body.

“I’m allowed to stare at my mate.”

She huffed but her eyes didn’t leave the stiff shaft twitching under her attention.

“Are you?”

My, “Yes,” was decisive.

She finally met my gaze once more, a smile on her lips and amusement flowing between us.

“Is that a Morraki law you forgot to mention?”

My grin spread.

“Oh no, I distinctly remember telling you an omega is expected to be available to her alpha at all times within the meyr’kal.”

She scoffed, turning to climb from the bed herself.

“I also remember a certain female who refused to follow the rules.”

The amusement I felt through the bond was stronger than the hint of it she allowed to show, and something in my chest warmed.

I liked this. I liked knowing how she felt. The bond didn't give me her thoughts, I couldn't reach into her mind and read whatever thoughts formed there, but I could feel enough that we couldn’t hide anything anymore.

That was good.

After weeks of wondering what she was thinking, I was beginning to realize how often Elaina was amused by me. While that was better than hating me, I wasn't certain how I felt about her finding me more hilarious than fearsome.

I watched as she shrugged into the special silk robe she’d worn to the bonding hall. She’d been fine with leaving everything behind when we returned to my home, except that.

“What are you doing?”

She gave me a bland look as she tied it closed, covering all of her marks except the one on her neck. It made me want to snarl, but I also appreciated the reduction in temptation.

“I’m going to go look at the plans again.”

My brows lowered and all amusement bled away.

“No.”

Her expression matched mine and I felt a surge of hurt through the bond.

“No?”

Closing the distance between us, I put my arms around her, trying to soothe both of us as I explained.

“Your heat just ended. You need to eat and rest. The plan can wait.”

The stiffness in her body eased and she leaned into me, her hands coming up to rest on my chest. There was a tangle of emotions inside her too complicated to read, but she didn’t leave me wondering for long.

“The rebels didn't politely agree to stop plotting while we were busy.”

My eyes narrowed but she’d never taken my threats seriously. And I had learned that arguing with Elaina when she'd decided she was right rarely ended with her admitting otherwise.

The bond only confirmed it since I could feel her stubborn certainty.

“You are eating first.”

She sighed but nodded acceptance. If she hadn’t I might have been tempted to lock her in our room until she agreed to cooperate.

I bent, sliding one arm beneath her knees before she could protest. She frowned as I turned, but she didn’t stiffen until I headed for the door.

“Drazien.”

“You need food, and if you don’t want me knotting you again before we make it to the Archives, we need to wash the scent of slick and heat off of you.

The irritated pulse through the bond made me grin, but she didn’t give voice to any protests.

“Drazien—”

“Rethari?”

She glared but I kept my smile in place. If anything, being able to feel the emotions she tried to hide when I teased her made it more fun.

“I have two feet.”

Turning my head, I looked at them as if just realizing they were there. There was a tap on my shoulder, but if she’d meant it to hurt, she needed to strike a lot harder.

“You do,” I confirmed as I met her narrowed eyes again.

“I can walk.”

I turned sideways to pass through the door as I smoothed my expression and nodded gravely.

“I know. But you are slow, and we have things to do.”

Her growl echoed in the tunnel before it was drowned out by my laugh. I’d always wanted an omega, but Elaina was making it far more fun than I’d imagined it to be. Irritating her was almost as exciting as being inside her.

The real reason I carried her was because I could feel the soreness in her muscles and the exhaustion pulling at her. She was right that the rebels hadn’t taken a break while she was in heat, but she still needed to recover. Most newly bonded omegas remained in their nest even after their heat ended, but if mine insisted on going out, then I was going to do my best to ease the strain.

It was why I carried her straight back to the soaking pool we had used prior to her heat, in a deeper part of the River Caverns where many didn’t bother to go. There was a pair of young warriors using it when we arrived, but the lift of my lip was all it took to send them to a different pool.

Adjusting her in my arms, I urged her to wrap her legs around my waist so I could push the Shavari’zorr from her shoulders.

“Don’t let go,” I ordered as I lowered us into the water.

There was only a thin lip around the edge of the pool to sit on, but I wrapped the rope around my waist to make sure we were anchored safely while being able to keep my hands on her.

I’d had every intention of giving her a break, of letting her body recover from days of knotting, but when she sighed and leaned back to float on the surface, her center pressed over my straining shaft and my bite marks showing, instinct kicked in.

“I need you.”

The words were out before I knew they were coming, and they carried so much more weight than a simple physical desire for her.

I was the warrior the Torvakai sent when he needed someone silenced. The one the Torashkar released on enemies who deserved the worst. I was the shadow that stalked the tunnels of Morrakan, and the night that descended on those who stood against the Morrak.

Even amongst my own people, I was seen as dangerous. I stood alone, separate even from the unit I led when others were needed in my missions.

And I had desperately needed something to anchor me.

Someone to be my soft place.

My home.

Elaina sat up, the shift of her core against my shaft making both of us breathe deeper. The green in her eyes was lost in the dimness of the River Caverns, but I didn’t miss the softness there as she raised a hand to stroke the side of my face.

“I am yours.”

Her response was simple but just as loaded. I felt the depth behind the words, how she meant it in the same way I had.

She was the one who moved to slide me inside, letting out a breathy sound as she sank on my shaft. My hands remained on her hips, hers on my shoulders as I leaned back against the stone of the pool. The contrast between the hard rock at my back and the soft female against my chest only heightened my awareness of her and how right it felt when we were connected.

Tensing her thighs, she lifted herself before sliding down me again. Our first time had been in the water of a soaking pool, and I’d knotted her too many times to keep track of during her heat, but this time felt different.

I stared into her eyes as she rode me, her movements slow but firm. When her legs began to tremble I took over, lifting and lowering her at the pace she’d set, grinding her against me as my knot started to bulge.

The link between our souls was wide open, filled with the sensations and emotions coursing through both of us. As the pleasure grew, it was impossible to tell where it originated. In sharing it, we turned it into something new. Something that belonged to both of us.

“And I am yours, rethari,” I whispered into the quiet.

We were both panting, both balancing on the edge. Her nails dug into my flesh, sending pricks of pleasure pain along my nerves that matched what she felt from the tips of my claws digging into her ass. Our kethra flashed in sync, a blue-violet display, dazzling to the eyes, but I still couldn’t look away.

Tipping her head to the side where I’d placed one of my marks, Elaina watched me watching her.

“I think I need another, so other alphas can see that I’m claimed, no matter which side they’re on.”

My gaze narrowed, locked on the flutter of her pulse beneath her thin flesh. Drugged by her pheromones I hadn’t thought twice about biting her when she’d asked for it, but now, without the influence of our biology, to have her asking for it again…

To feel the certainty that this was what she wanted…

Our release crested the moment my teeth sank into her, bliss pouring through both of us. She cried out, trembling against me as my knot swelled, locking us together as I flooded her womb with my seed.

Mine echoed wordlessly between us as she bit down on my neck, mirroring me. She struggled more with my thick flesh, but my hand came up to cup her head as I encouraged her through the bond.

I wanted it.

I wanted to be covered in her marks.

I wanted anyone who looked at me to know that I was claimed.

Wanted.

Hers.

There was no way to track how much time passed as we came down together. I pulled my teeth from her skin, licking the wound to seal it, and she did the same before placing her cheek on my shoulder.

She was too tired to resist as I reached for the cleansing powder and began washing her. Once I was done with her back and legs I leaned her to float atop the surface once more so I could wash her front.

Her soft curves still mesmerized me. The weight of her breasts, and roundness of her belly.

They promised fertility.

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop it. I can’t take anymore.”

The words were a quiet demand as she shifted a hand to press over her womb. Unable to resist grinning, I brushed her hand aside and massaged the area with both of mine.

“I was thinking of watching you swell as my luthra grows inside you.”

She groaned as my shaft flexed and released more seed.

“You’re going to watch me rip open from the pressure if your knot doesn’t deflate soon.”

Chuckling, I relented and removed my hands from her belly, giving myself a quick wash with one hand, the other on her hip to be sure she was secure. Even with my knot holding her on my shaft and my tail wrapped around her waist, I wasn’t willing to risk her safety.

Which made me think of our plan and how I hated myself for ever suggesting using her as bait.

“Elaina—”

“No. We have to stop them from hurting anyone else, and your plan is still the best way to do that.”

She glared at me as she sat up, and even though part of me was amused at the fierceness she showed towards someone bigger and stronger than her, another part was terrified that was exactly what would get her hurt.

Sinking my fingers into her wet curls, I held her head still as I leaned forward to press my lips to her frowning ones. I didn’t try to push inside despite the temptation.

“I know,” I murmured when I pulled away.

The thoughts were good for one thing at least, my deflated knot slipping from her moments later.

I finished cleaning up and lifted Elaina from the water before climbing out myself. I would have dried her too, but she shot me a glare and snatched the towel from me, and the feral feeling in the bond made me grin as I backed away with my hands raised.

She fought me over walking too, but only until we reached the base of the stairs where she gave in to me carrying her. I felt her concern over what others would think, but we only passed a couple betas who carefully averted their gaze. My people were born and raised with our dynamics, and they knew how volatile an alpha could be, especially when his omega was involved too.

It wasn’t long before I had a platter of food and a table in a quiet corner of the Market. Intellect told me what she would want, but instincts wouldn’t allow me to release her, so I opted for the only other option.

“I would like to feed you.”

I felt her automatic resistance, but as she studied my face, it melted away.

“Okay.”

I settled in the chair with her in my lap, making her eyes narrow. I gave her a grin as I lifted the first bite to her lips, and while she let out a huff first, she opened and let me feed her.

“Explain this to me.”

She made her demand before accepting another bite, and my brow rose. I wasn’t sure how Humans treated their mates, but based on how often they switched partners, it had to be different than the way the Morrak did.

“I know you can feel how strong our instincts are.”

She gave a slow nod but there was still a crease between her brows.

“Alphas are known for being aggressive, dominant, and territorial. Our instincts when it comes to omegas are even stronger. There’s a driving need to claim them, but that comes with a deep-seated urge to protect and care for them. Providing for you, feeding you, gives me pleasure. It satisfies the animal part of me that needs to make sure you have what you need to provide me with young.”

I could only smile at the way her eyes narrowed again, and a soft growl came from her chest before she cut it off.

“One thing at a time, okay? Let’s deal with the rebels before we start talking about making babies.”

I was already hard from having her against me, and my shaft twitched against her leg. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head and looked away, but I felt her amusement and the secret desire she was trying to hide.

Still, she was right. The rebels were a threat to the Human omegas, and we could only assume they would be twice as dangerous to any hybrid young that came.

Like the one growing inside Rhydek’s mate. The secret that was bound to get out.

We finished our meal and I carried her up the stairs once more until we reached the High Ledge. She insisted on walking the rest of the way to the Archives, and since the room was empty, we decided to act out our plan.

“Sitting here, I can see this entrance, and the others helping you can see the other, right? You’ll be in the ventilation shaft, so there’s no way they can sneak in and surprise us.”

I nodded as I looked around, reluctant to say what was on my mind, but she needed to be aware of the possibilities to be as safe as I could make her.

“Unless they make another.”

Her eyes widened and I felt her surprise. I hadn’t mentioned that before, because I hadn’t wanted to scare her, but I knew she could handle it now.

“The rebels have explosives.”

She figured it out without me having to explain further.

“Enough to breach the walls, but probably not enough to collapse the cave.”

Her eyes narrowed. I felt the constriction in her chest at that thought.

Or perhaps that sensation was mine.

“They wouldn’t be able to rig that kind of explosion without leaving traces, and I’ll check before I pretend to leave each day.”

The worry in the bond eased. It wasn’t gone, but it wasn’t choking me after that reminder.

“They haven't used weapons or explosives before. Not that you’ve told me about.”

There was a trace of doubt wiggling into my chest, and I didn’t blame her for it.

“They still could,” I said.

We had to plan for everything.

“If they breach the wall somewhere, can they escape into the adjoining passage?”

It was a possibility I’d considered.

“I have someone in the tunnels behind the Archives.”

She nodded, and we went over every part of the plan once more. Where my warriors would wait, how many there would be, and which passages they'd watch.

We decided what signal she would use if she became suspicious, and what signal I would use if the operation needed to end.

“With how sensitive your noses are, are you sure they won’t realize you’re close by? Won’t the ventilation just fill the room with it and scare them away?”

I hated when she used logic against me. It was a smart question, and one I didn’t have a good answer for besides the one I’d given her before.

She must have felt my hesitance because she leaned back and tipped her head.

“Do you have a type of cleanser or spray that neutralizes scents? Removes them or hides them somehow?”

I thought about it before dipping my chin slowly.

“We have shyrek. It’s an oil, but it’s rare and hard to come by.”

She arched a brow, the challenge on her face undeniable.

“Can you get some?”

Nodding with more certainty, I moved to her side and lifted her from the chair. We had gone over the plan enough, it was time to get the rebels’ attention.

“It is the last day of Khavren, and I have heard the winds are calm today. Let’s bait the trap.”

Elaina gave me a curious look but didn’t say anything as I carried her from the Archives and up to the arch on the surface. My fingers moved carefully on her thavren, arranging it so her mouth and nose were covered but her face and hair were visible. I even let the fabric droop around her neck, the fresh bite mark and the one that had already become part of her kethra visible.

I stared at all the skin exposed, thinking twice about taking her out of the protection of the arch. She still wore her robe, which wouldn’t turn heads in Korvashan, but for a Human on the surface, would certainly draw attention.

Elaina's amusement brushed against my worry.

“If the winds are calm, I’ll be fine. I’ll tell you if it becomes too much.”

I leaned down and pressed a kiss to the marks and felt her shiver. The surge of lust through the bond was matched by mine when her fingers tightened over the matching new bite on my neck.

My tail lashed, kethra glowing blue before I pulled them under control again.

“Careful, rethari.”

My growl was low and quiet, meant just for her.

“Why?”

My lips pulled back and I let her feel the full degree of my desire for her.

“We need a spectacle, and I have no problem giving my people another show.”

She bit her lip then smiled sweetly, but there was nothing sweet about what came through the bond. Groaning, I palmed myself through my pants and pulled away from her before I rutted her right there where no one but those passing by would see.

“You are trouble, rethari.”

She laughed as I took her hand and pulled her out into Vorrashan’s light. The final day of Khavren had drawn even more people into the festivities, and the surface seemed to pulse with life. Music drifted in the air, merchants called to the passing crowds, and flames danced from elevated braziers, fed by attendants who moved constantly between them.

We took our time, paying just as much attention to each other as we did the booths and performances. She'd seen it before, but not like this. Not with everyone celebrating with the abandon of people reluctant to let the fun end.

And not without blending into the crowd.

Now she walked the surface with her differences on display, the violet branches of her kethra showing she was my mate even if they somehow missed the marks on her neck.

It filled me with more satisfaction than it should have, and I strutted like the proud alpha I was.

We wanted to be seen, so we made certain we were. Elaina stopped at various booths, speaking what Morraki she'd learned while I corrected her pronunciation until she threatened to stop speaking altogether.

I bought her more books and scrolls. Dresses and jewelry. Blankets and pillows. I paid a young beta to carry everything home for us, so I didn’t have to tote it around and risk losing it again.

And no matter what was going on, I paid attention to those around us. To the way people moved.

I purchased another necklace she’d taken notice of only for her to turn around and protest. Sliding an arm around her waist, I pulled her against me and pressed my mouth to her neck.

“Drazien!”

I ran my tongue up to her ear, nibbling on the shell as she pretended to struggle against me, but I could scent her slick.

“We are supposed to look newly bonded.”

She let out a soft growl that held no threat to it.

“We are newly bonded, but you don’t have to buy everything I look at!”

Rocking my hips forward, I pressed my shaft into her belly as I nipped her jaw, pulling a hiss from her before I soothed it with my tongue.

“Then stop pretending all this stuff is more interesting than me.”

She gasped, mouth opening to protest again, but I stopped it by covering her lips with mine. My tongue was twisting with hers in a heartbeat, silencing her even though her amusement still beat inside my chest.

“I can’t believe you’re jealous of books and fabrics,” she said when I finally released her mouth.

Frowning, I moved my tail beneath the edge of her robe, running the tip up the inside of her thigh.

“I’m not.”

The bond betrayed me and Elaina burst out laughing before gasping once more as I pushed my tail higher, into the tight space between the top of her thighs. I pushed until the tip rested at her entrance. Her eyes widened and warning flashed through the bond

I growled, low and deep, drawing the attention of several Morraki around us. Taking hold of her chin, I let my lips tip into a smirk.

“We need a spectacle, remember?”

Her glare promised murder but desire curled beneath it, and it was only a moment before she pushed back against it, taking the tip within her.

I took advantage of her gasp once more, thrusting my tongue into her mouth the way I thrust my tail into her core. She whimpered and squirmed against me, driving me crazy with the urge to rut her right there, but I couldn’t let myself be that distracted.

Kissing was becoming more common, but it was still a Human behavior, and strange enough that more than one passing Morraki slowed to watch. Elaina's surprise melted into need despite the audience, and I increased the speed of my thrusting until I felt her clench and shudder, her release sweeping into me through the bond and threatening to make my knot swell in my pants.

“There,” I purred to her as she panted.

Her eyes were narrowed but there was more pleasure than irritation coming from her.

“I don’t think anyone passed without noticing you.”

She sighed and shook her head.

“You are ridiculous.”

Shrugging, I didn’t pull my tail from her as I tucked her into my side and started urging her forward.

“You like it.”

And fortunately for me, she couldn’t deny it. The warmth through the bond told me so, although she still protested trying to walk with my tail inside her.

“I can always carry you?”

Her snarl made me laugh and withdraw, lifting the tip between us to lick her slick from it. She made a face as if she thought it was gross, but the bond didn’t lie.

We continued through Khavren, playing games, eating, and watching the different displays. Elaina dragged me toward every show that caught her attention, and all the while, I watched.

Faces, movements, voices… Anyone who appeared too often or lingered too long.

I saw nothing.

That worried me more than if I'd spotted one of them. The rebels had attacked once, they knew Elaina was alive, and now they could see that her heat was over and she was bonded. If their goal was to prevent Humans from diluting the bloodlines and changing our traditions, we were proof they were still failing.

They would act, the only question was when.

Elaina leaned into my side, and I looked down, realizing she’d grown quieter, our steps slower.

“Tired?”

She hesitated as if she didn’t want to admit it before nodding.

“A little.”

“Then we go home.”

She didn't argue. That concerned me enough to turn us toward the nearest stairwell instead of heading back to the main archway.

I kept our pace slow and steady. Neither of us spoke, but there was no need. The connection between us carried a quiet contentment I was beginning to crave.

Elaina's hand remained in mine, my tail looped around her waist, until we reached our door. I let her enter first and she stopped just inside, and for one terrible moment, I wondered if something was wrong.

But she was looking at the pile of items I had purchased at the festival, her lips parted, a furrow between her brows.

“What are we going to do with all this?”

She blinked up at me and all I could do was smile and pull her against my chest. She came willingly, and I brushed loose curls back from her face.

The answer was simple.

“You will nest.”

Shoulders sagging, she huffed before looking at the pile again. She gave a decisive nod, but when she took my hand, she pulled me towards our room, bypassing all of it.

Outside, Khavren continued without us. The rebels were still waiting, but our trap was ready. In the morning we would return to the Archives and finish what I'd started when I brought Elaina to Morrakan.

But for the moment, it was time to hold my mate in the home that had somehow become ours, and for the first time since Rhydek gave me my mission, I understood exactly how much that mattered more.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Elaina

Four days prior, I would have loved an uninterrupted afternoon in the Archives, but after three in a row… I couldn’t read a damn word.

I tried to translate the line in front of me for what had to be the sixth time, determined to make the collection of Morraki symbols turn into something meaningful.

Rhae. All. That one was easy.

The next word contained a root I recognized as well, but every time I started working through the modifiers around it, something creaked in the distance and my attention snapped away.

Nothing.

Again.

I blew out a slow breath and forced my eyes back to the page.

This was ridiculous. I was sitting in a room filled with books written in an alien language I was actually learning to read. A few months ago, I would have committed crimes for an opportunity like this.

Now I was committing crimes against linguistics by reading the same sentence over and over while waiting for someone to try to kill me.

My gaze drifted toward the door I could see from my seat at the table.

Empty.

The rebels were apparently the most inconsiderate terrorists in the galaxy. We’d spent four days making it painfully obvious that I came here every afternoon, and that Drazien ran off to give his report to Rhydek during that time.

Four days of eating lunch in the Cavern Markets before walking through Korvashan together.

Four days of him leaving me behind, despite the pain it caused us both during that brief time when he made sure he was seen elsewhere before circling back.

Four days of me sitting in the same seat while the Archives remained suspiciously empty.

It was four days too many of absolutely nothing happening, and my patience was wearing thin.

I shifted in my chair and resisted the urge to look toward the back corner. Drazien was there, somewhere. I could sense it.

The feeling should have been reassuring, and it was.

Mostly.

I just hated that I couldn’t smell him.

Shyrek turned out to be every bit as difficult to find as Drazien had claimed. I still didn’t know where he’d gotten it, and I suspected I didn’t want to know. The thick oil had a faint mineral smell when he first applied it, but within minutes, even that disappeared.

Along with him.

The first time he’d used it I’d stood with my nose against his chest trying to find some trace of the scent I associated with him, upset in a way I couldn’t fully explain. He’d found it hilarious.

I had not.

The bond told me he was close, but it wasn’t a tracking device. I couldn’t close my eyes and point to exactly where Drazien was hiding, but I could feel the low thrum of his emotions beneath my own tugging me in one direction.

He was growing as impatient as I was, and it was a relief knowing I wasn’t the only one sick of waiting. He couldn’t hide his discomfort, or his irritation over the fact that our trap had yet to be sprung.

Had we made it too obvious?

That last thought made me grimace. The plan had sounded so much simpler when we made it, but we hadn’t accounted for the rebels missing the memo that they were supposed to attack me. We had expected them to take the opportunity to finish what they’d started at the first chance.

Or at least the second.

Definitely by the third…

I was in a secluded place, alone.

Except I wasn’t nearly as vulnerable as I appeared, and we were starting to think they knew what we’d planned. Drazien said he trusted the warriors of the unit he commanded, and besides Rhydek, no one else knew the entire plan.

Drazien remained hidden in the ventilation passage. Warriors waited beyond both exits, far enough away that the rebels shouldn’t notice them, but they were growing bored. Others watched the passages behind the Archives in case someone attempted to breach a wall, but if something didn’t happen soon, it would become too obvious that they were lingering.

Every possible escape route was covered. We’d planned for everything, except for no one to take the bait.

We had discussed changing the plan, finding a different location, but neither of us liked the idea. The Archives were the perfect place, where it was less likely that others would get involved. Everyone involved knew their role, which meant something would end up going wrong if we changed anything.

I frowned at the book. The thoughts circling my head were not helpful, but I couldn’t seem to banish them and focus.

Going back to the top of the page, I started again. I made it through two full paragraphs, then three.

My irritation faded as the patterns started fitting together. The text was older than most of what Drazien had used to teach me, but it was a simple story frequently used to teach young Morraki to read. It was a legend about a greedy serpent, and the more I read, the more it pulled me in until footsteps caught my attention.

The Archives were open for any to browse through, although the keepers who tended the scrolls and books were the only others I’d ever seen there. There were also other places along the tunnel that were frequented.

The Council Hall.

A small room where warriors injured during training were sent for treatment.

But still…

The footsteps grew louder and I lowered my eyes.

Read.

That was what I was supposed to do. I was supposed to be so lost in translating the text that I didn’t notice anything else. Someone who didn't know she was bait wouldn't stare at every person who entered the room.

I found my place again.

Rhae...

Damn it.

The footsteps slowed, then entered the room. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat, and the lump there made it hard to swallow.

A shadow moved across the opposite side of the table. I had learned that Morraki did not greet strangers in public the way Humans considered polite. At most the alphas nodded to one another when passing, but betas tended to keep their heads down so that they went unnoticed, so I wasn’t surprised the person didn’t say anything.

I peeked up from the corner of my eye. A Morraki alpha stood on the other side of the table, his eyes on my neck.

The marks Drazien had left were impossible to miss, especially since we'd deliberately chosen my clothing to leave them exposed. Staring at the marks didn’t make the male a rebel, but he stared a bit too long, his brows creasing the longer he stood there.

Then his gaze moved down to the scroll in front of me, his frown growing obvious.

“Karzhak veshakar dravakh’hesh.”

I blinked, lifting my head to meet his green eyes. I didn’t fully understand what he’d said, but dravakh meant trouble or danger.

“Dravakh?”

I couldn’t tell if he was asking me if I was having trouble, or if he was saying that reading was dangerous?

Or that me reading was dangerous.

His eyes narrowed, his expression distinctly unwelcoming, but I tried to remind myself that didn’t mean he wanted to hurt me.

It was hard to convince my heart of that. His arrival here, now, was too suspicious.

I tried switching to Common since I’d been assured most Morraki spoke it.

“I'm trying to learn.”

His expression didn't change but his kethra flashed, a brief flare of orange. My pulse hammered and it was hard to hear anything over the pounding in my ears, and it didn’t help that when I tried to reach for Drazien in the bond, what I felt was cold and hard.

Was this one of them?

I couldn't give any indication that the encounter bothered me, so I lowered my head once more and pretended to keep reading. The male remained standing across from me, making me more certain by the moment that this was it.

Finally.

It was strange to feel relief when there was a good chance I was in danger, but at least the waiting would be over if I was right.

A sense of pressure came through the bond. It wasn’t quite reassurance, but my chest loosened with the knowledge that Drazien was aware of what was going on.

That I wasn’t alone.

I moved the narrow strip of fabric I'd been using to mark my place from the right side of the book to the left and reached below the table as if I had an itch on my leg. The movement allowed me to loosen the blade strapped to my thigh, so I’d be able to grab it if needed.

I hated waiting without knowing what to do. If another Human man had lingered that long, staring, I’d have confronted him, but that would be the wrong move with a Morraki alpha. Especially since omegas were supposed to be a mostly submissive dynamic.

The alpha finally shifted away, but he was still within lunging distance, so I knew I wasn’t out of danger. I forced myself to turn another page even as I heard footsteps again.

I couldn’t help glancing up as another male entered, gaze finding me as if he’d known I would be there.

My stomach tightened.

He turned his head and walked toward one of the shelves along the far wall, examining the scrolls as if he needed a specific one. I stared down at my book again, struggling to keep my kethra under control. Just when I’d gotten used to the silver crescents I’d woken with on the ship after my injection, they’d changed to match Drazien’s violet lightning branches, and it was more noticeable when they shifted towards blue with my emotions.

There was no one else in the Archives with us. That was part of the plan, but it still made my fingers tighten around the edge of the hide.

Breathe.

Observe.

Don't decide what something means before you have enough information.

It was something that had been drilled into me during training, but it was harder when I knew these alphas had already tried to kill me once.

I slowly released the scroll before I tore it. The new Morraki moved as if searching the shelves, but he never took anything from them. He was pretending just as much as I was.

I fingered the strip of fabric on the table, trying to stay calm. Something pulsed through the bond, reminding me I wasn’t alone, but would Drazien be fast enough to save me if these two decided to attack? He was there, and we had prepared as much as we could, but too much was up to chance.

I swallowed and tried to keep my eyes down. The words on the scroll might as well have been meaningless shapes, and I couldn’t help glancing up every few heartbeats.

I didn't hear the third male enter, but I saw him. Movement flickered in my peripheral vision, and I turned toward it before I could stop myself. He stood near the second entrance, blocking it as he nodded to the other two.

My heart stumbled before it slammed against my ribs. Even with Drazien’s training, I barely had a chance against one Morraki. Against three…

There had been more than that following us before the attack during Khavren, although I couldn’t tell if they were the same ones. It was difficult to remember when my memories of that day were tangled with crowds, wind, fabric, and the hurt that came after, but I noticed their pattern was the same. One was close, trying to draw attention, while another lingered further away, and the third guarded an exit.

Run.

Every survival instinct I had screamed it. Get up, call for Drazien, and let the warriors deal with the alphas.

I could almost feel the pressure of his hand around mine as Drazien had made me repeat the plan. If I thought I was in immediate danger, I was supposed to leave, not fight.

But they hadn't done anything yet, and if I called for help too soon, we might lose them.

Again.

The first time Drazien had used me as bait, I hadn't even known there was a hook buried in me. This time, I'd sharpened it myself, and I wasn’t going to let us walk away empty handed.

I breathed through the fear, reminding myself that I wasn't helpless. Drazien was close, his warriors were nearby, and I had a knife. I helped create the plan, and it needed to happen to keep others from being at risk.

I couldn’t stop my kethra from pulsing in time with my heartbeat, the frantic fluttering giving away the fear they could probably scent anyway. I supposed that was a good thing, because not being scared would have been a dead giveaway that something was up.

The third male started walking, but not toward me. He headed for the back of the Archives, which had my hackles rising.

He passed behind the shelves and disappeared. I held my breath and listened but heard nothing.

The second male was still somewhere to my left. I couldn't see him either, and the room suddenly felt too quiet.

My heart was beating so fast I worried it was about to give up altogether. My gut told me something wasn't right, but indecision froze me in my seat.

For several seconds, nothing happened, then I caught a faint scrape. My lungs loosened, thinking it was Drazien slipping into the room, and I pushed back from the table. I tried to keep my movements slow and steady, but I wasn’t sure my legs were going to support me when I stood.

I wasn’t supposed to run unless someone moved to stop me, but nothing happened when I rose and took a step around the table.

Then another.

The main entrance was close. I headed toward it, but a sound came from behind me that made everything freeze.

Not footsteps this time.

A click.

My stomach dropped as I remembered Drazien telling me they had explosives. Enough to breach an interior wall, but he had thought they wouldn’t use them and risk collapsing the entire cavern.

But these people wouldn’t care about books and history if they didn’t care about the lives of their own kind.

I ran.

The explosion hit before I made it three steps. Sound disappeared, a high-pitched ringing and pressure on my eardrums taking its place. A massive force slammed into my back and threw me forward, and I hit the floor hard enough to drive the air from my lungs as I blinked stupidly at the reddish rock inches from my face.

Stone cracked and something crashed behind me, hard enough for me to feel the vibration of it. Dust swirled around me until I couldn’t see or breathe, while the ringing still left me unable to hear.

Terror ripped through my chest, but I realized it wasn’t mine.

Drazien.

I pushed onto my hands and knees.

Move.

That was what Drazien and every instructor I’d ever had tried to pound into my skull.

If I fell, keep moving.

If I couldn't fight, find a secure place.

If I couldn't find safety, then make the other person regret coming too close.

I crawled. It was all I could manage with my head ringing and the dust choking the air.

A shelf had fallen beside me, littering the floor with books and scrolls. I dragged myself behind it just as something struck the other side.

A body?

Stone?

I didn't know. The ringing was fading but still blocked me from hearing anything beyond my own ragged breaths. The dust was too thick to see more than vague shapes, the light I’d read by buried somewhere.

A hand grabbed my ankle and I screamed, kicking out. My heel connected with something and the grip loosened, so I kicked again, harder.

The hand disappeared and I scrambled forward, but a shadow loomed through the dust.

Too large.

Every Morraki was too damn big. I couldn't overpower one, so I didn't try.

The male reached for me, but I snatched the thickest book within reach, throwing it at his face before he knew what I was doing. His arm came up to block it, and I lunged in the opposite direction, but he caught the back of my shirt.

Fabric tightened around my throat and panic exploded through me. I twisted instead of pulling away, turning toward him the way Drazien had taught me.

My elbow slammed into his ribs, but he barely reacted, so I drove my foot back into his shin. That made him loosen his grip just enough for me to duck and slip out of the shirt.

I took off, running for the clear space I thought was the doorway as a roar shook the Archives. I felt it as much as heard it, and a dark smile twisted my lips even as goosebumps erupted along my exposed flesh. The bond was flooded with rage, and the rebels were about to find out how dangerous Drazien was when he was pissed.

A Morraki came through the dust beside me and for one terrible second I thought it was another rebel, but he passed me, heading straight toward the male who'd grabbed me.

One of ours.

The trap was sprung, but it was pure chaos. Warriors poured through the entrance, people were shouting, and crashing overlaid it all.

I backed toward the place we'd designated as my safe spot. Away from the fighting, out of the center of the Archives, but still defensible.

I wasn't supposed to help. That had been one of the few things Drazien refused to negotiate. My job was to survive, not fight, and I could do that.

A male stumbled into the open space in front of me, and I realized he was the one who'd spoken to me. His gaze locked on mine, and there was no uncertainty now. Hatred twisted his face as he charged.

I darted sideways. There was an unstable table between us, and I kept it there. He went left, so I went right. His snarl would have been terrifying if the entire situation hadn't been so absurd.

We circled before he finally lunged across it, his longer reach almost letting him grab ahold of me. I shoved the stack of books on the corner toward him, but he just knocked them aside.

It still bought me half a second, and that was enough for me to grab the chair. I didn't swing it, I couldn’t lift the Morraki sized thing enough to use it as a weapon, so I waited until he came for me and jammed it between his legs.

His shin struck the seat, making him stumble, and I ran again. Fingers brushed through my hair, but a sudden grunt behind me explained why they didn’t tighten.

Drazien hit him from the side with enough force to send both of them into a shelf. It made a cracking sound and books rained down on them, but Drazien didn't seem to notice.

He grabbed the male by the throat and slammed him into the floor.

Once.

Twice.

By the third time I untangled what I felt through the bond, and my stomach clenched.

“Drazien!”

His arm froze. The rebel wheezed beneath him, eyes bulging as his claws sliced into Drazien’s wrist, but my mate didn’t seem to feel the pain.

Drazien's head turned and his dark eyes found mine. The whirling chaos inside him slowed, the rage vanishing beneath something colder and infinitely more frightening.

Fear.

His gaze swept over me. My bare chest from slipping out of the shirt, the dust coating my skin, and the blood running from numerous small cuts all catalogued by his eyes.

His pupils narrowed and a growl vibrated loud enough that I felt it in my chest like another explosion. I held up my hands, taking a step towards him, trying to push calm through our bond.

“I'm okay.”

He turned to look back at the male beneath him, a wave of rage pushing against my chest, but I gritted my teeth and took another step closer.

“Drazien.”

His tail lashed, his kethra glowing as blue as mine, but from an entirely different emotion.

“You need him alive.”

For one horrible moment, I thought he might ignore me, but another warrior appeared and took hold of the rebel’s shoulder. Drazien was on his feet before I could blink, and he crossed the distance between us and grabbed me, plastering me to his chest.

He wasn’t gentle. His hands moved over my back, shoulders, arms, and ribs.

“Where?”

The word was guttural, as if he hadn’t spoken in years.

“I'm fine.”

He snarled before cutting it off in the next heartbeat.

“You’re bleeding.”

I ran my hands up and down his back and pressed myself harder against his chest, trying to soothe both of us. I hated the shyrek twice as much when my desperate breath only brought me more dust and a hint of smoke.

“They’re just scratches.”

His fingers brushed my hairline and when he pulled away, I could see a red smear of blood.

“That’s not a scratch.”

He had never spoken in that harsh tone before, but I knew he wasn’t angry at me. I felt the fear swirling inside him, edged in desperation.

“Where else?”

I swallowed, trying to figure out where I might be hurt.

“I—I don't know.”

Him ripping himself away from me hurt more than anything else. Taking hold of my shoulders, he leaned down to be at my level, the look on his face sending a shiver down my spine.

“Rethari!”

I let out a growl of my own before swallowing it.

“I don't know!”

He froze, his eyes widening when I yelled at him. I took a breath and he mimicked me, some of the pressure in the bond easing as we both forced ourselves to calm.

“I got thrown in the explosion and landed on my front. Someone grabbed my ankle, and one of them caught my shirt so I had to slip out of it. That's it. Nothing serious.”

His eyes dropped and I followed his gaze, suddenly realizing I was still standing in a room with other people, completely topless. The Morrak didn’t wear undergarments, and it hadn’t taken much convincing for me to give up bras.

The scrapes on my hands and knees from crawling were starting to sting, and there were multiple places that throbbed like they’d be covered in bruises soon, but nothing was painful enough for me to think I needed one of the kethral.

Drazien’s expression turned murderous again, but I stepped forward and grabbed his face.

“Stop.”

His eyes snapped to mine, his pupils thin black slits within the deep blue.

“I'm alive.”

His nostrils flared as he dragged in a breath.

“You are injured.”

I shook my head, tugging on his skull to get him to listen.

“That's not the same thing.”

His lips peeled back but it wasn’t his usual cocky grin showing off his sharp teeth.

“It’s close enough.”

Despite everything, a laugh burst out of me, and I watched as his brow lowered. I chuckled again before biting my lip, trying to stem the giggles bubbling inside at the utter ridiculousness of me standing in the ruined Archives, topless, trying to convince a massive alien that my scrapes were nothing.

“I'm sorry.”

It was a whisper, but it was all I could manage.

“You find this amusing?”

Another giggle threatened to escape as I shook my head.

“No. Well, yes. A little.”

His hands settled around my waist. They were shaking, and the laughter died away as I realized how upset he was.

I'd seen him angry.

Furious.

Violent.

I'd watched him tear through other Morraki as if they were minor inconveniences.

But his hands trembled where they held me.

I blinked back the sudden sting of tears and placed my hands on his chest.

“I'm okay,” I told him once more.

The bond carried the truth to him. There was pain, fear, and a healthy dose of adrenaline running through my veins, but beneath it all, I was okay.

His forehead lowered to mine. For several moments, neither of us moved, until someone called his name.

I felt his surge of regret as his eyes closed for a brief moment before he pulled away.

“Elaina—”

“Go,” I said. “You caught them. There are things to be done.”

His gaze shifted beyond me, and I finally looked too. The Archives were destroyed. Or at least they looked that way.

My heart hurt at the sight of broken shelves and books buried beneath stone and dust, but among the wreckage were two Morraki on their knees. Warriors surrounded them and another form, lying still on the floor.

My eyes moved toward the ragged hole in the opposite wall. I couldn’t see anyone beyond, but we all knew there were more Morraki involved than the three in the room.

“Do you know who they are?”

Drazien shook his head.

“Not yet.”

It almost felt like failure, but I knew they’d figure it out. The trap had worked, and they had two rebels to question. I wasn’t feeling particularly generous about the methods they chose to employ to get the information either.

I looked up at him, flashing a tired smile.

“We did it.”

His expression remained grim, but through the bond, beneath the fear and anger and lingering need to tear apart everyone who had touched me, something warmer emerged.

Pride.

Not for himself. He was proud of me.

His hand came up and cupped the back of my head, carefully avoiding the cut.

“We did.”

I leaned into him for one brief moment before looking at the captured rebels once more. They had answers, maybe not all of them, but enough to move forward. Enough to take another step towards making Korvashan safer for future Humans.

Drazien's tail wrapped around my waist. I didn't tease him for it, I understood the need to be close.

I felt it.

Four days ago, we'd walked into the Archives hoping the rebels would believe I was alone.

Now two of them were prisoners, one was likely dead, and every secret they'd tried to protect was suddenly within our reach.

The plan was complete, but the hunt wasn't.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Drazien

Elaina was asleep. She lay on her stomach, one arm shoved beneath the pillow and curls scattered over her face. The blankets had slipped low enough to expose her back and the violet branches of her kethra. Every mark I had left on her drew my attention, but it was the angry scrape across her shoulder that made my jaw clench.

There were more beneath the blanket. Scratches on her hands and knees. Bruises around her ankle where one of the rebels had grabbed her. A darkening patch along her ribs from being thrown by the explosion.

The kethral had assured me none of it was serious, but I didn't care. They had hurt my mate.

My rethari.

The soft warmth of sleep flowed through our bond, broken by the occasional pulse of discomfort when she shifted. I had been lying beside her for hours, staring into the darkness while the image of her disappearing in a cloud of dust replayed in my mind.

I had almost lost her.

Again.

And it still would have been my fault, even though this time we had planned together. She had known the risks, and she'd chosen to sit in the Archives and wait for the rebels anyway.

None of that made the memory easier to endure.

I watched her breathe for several minutes before I moved. Carefully, I lifted my arm from her waist, but she made a quiet sound and shifted toward me, her hand sliding across the bedding until it found my chest. Even asleep, she seemed to notice the moment I wasn't touching her.

Something in my chest twisted.

I covered her hand with mine, wishing I didn’t have to leave her, but I needed to do this.

When her breathing settled, I tried again. I lifted her hand and placed it on the pillow before withdrawing my tail from her core. She shifted again, but I kept one hand on her until I stood beside the bed. Her brow furrowed, but I leaned down and kissed it.

“I will return.”

The bond stretched uncomfortably as I dressed and left, slipping out into the silent tunnels. I could feel her even after the door closed behind me, a quiet presence that followed as I moved farther and farther from her, the distance making the ache in my chest grow.

I didn't like leaving her. Everything in me insisted I should remain beside her until every bruise faded and there were no longer any reminders of what had happened. I wanted to feed her, bathe her, and keep her surrounded by my scent and far from anyone who might pose a threat.

But two of the males responsible for those bruises were still breathing, and I intended to correct that.

The climb toward the surface did little to cool my anger. By the time I reached the upper fortress, the wind was whipping hard enough to make my skin sting everywhere it was exposed. Sand hissed over the stone, pelting against my clothing and thavren before being swept away again.

The stalls placed on the surface for Khavren were gone. Only traces remained of the celebration that had filled the space in and around the fortress mere days earlier.

It seemed impossible that Elaina and I had walked through those crowds together so recently. She had laughed, bought trinkets, and let me show everyone that she was mine.

And somewhere amongst them, the rebels had been watching.

My claws dug into my palms until I forced my fists to loosen. Blood would attract the lyrek, and I wasn’t in the mood to deal with the tiny pests.

Rhydek was waiting when I reached the cells where the two we had caught were being kept. They had been separated, each prisoner chained to the bars of empty kennels between two varkuun, ensuring neither male had anywhere to go even if he somehow escaped his restraints.

Rhydek stood in the passage between them. His expression told me everything before he spoke.

“They haven't talked.”

I shrugged, a curl of dark satisfaction churning in my gut.

“They will.”

His eyes narrowed as I looked toward the nearest cell.

“Drazien…”

There was a warning in the Torashkar's voice, and I met his gaze once more. His mate had been attacked right here in the kennels, and I knew he understood the savage ball of fury burning inside me.

“We need information.”

It was a reminder he shouldn’t have needed to give me, but with the way I was feeling, I might have forgotten to put the mission first.

“I know.”

One brow rose over his golden eyes.

“We need them capable of giving it.”

My lips pulled back and I couldn’t stop a low growl from leaving my chest.

“I know.”

His expression didn't change. For several breaths, neither of us spoke. Rhydek knew me, knew what I had done for him and Kael. What I was capable of doing when information mattered more than mercy.

He also knew what those males had done to Elaina.

He understood.

I stepped toward the first cell, but Rhydek caught my arm.

“Find out how many.”

I dipped my chin.

“I will.”

“Who commands them is the next priority.”

I nodded but I was focused on the form chained to the bars.

“And Drazien?”

I looked back, barely swallowing the urge to snarl again. I had left my sleeping mate to be here. Her scent still clung to me, the distance between us was making my gut churn as my skull throbbed, and I wanted to get back to her before the discomfort woke her too.

“Find out why their attacks changed.”

That caught my attention and my brow furrowed.

“They’ve been attacking the Humans since the first group arrived.”

He shook his head and moved closer, lowering his voice so even Morraki hearing wouldn’t pick it up beyond the two of us.

“I need to know if they know about Taryn.”

His eyes moved toward the prisoners before meeting mine again, and for the first time, I saw the alpha worried for his mate and child instead of the Torashkar.

“We can’t hide the news much longer. People are starting to whisper, and the news would quiet the worries, but it would also put her in more danger.”

I thought of the explosion and dipped my chin once more. The rebels were trying to stop Humans from diluting the bloodlines, and if they knew there was already a hybrid on the way, they would stop at nothing to get to Taryn. Rhydek would have to leave Morrakan with her, and even then, there would still be risks.

I entered the cell, wandering through the sand, looking at the stone walls before turning my attention to the male chained against the bars. To his honor, he stood, back straight and chin lifted, watching me with narrowed eyes. Dried blood coated one side of his face from the fight in the Archives, and he was covered in dust and sand, but he wasn’t as hurt as my omega had been.

That would change.

“You won't get anything from me,” he snarled.

I tilted my head before looking past him at the other prisoner who was slumped in his restraints, kethra pulsing as if he fought to control them. Focusing on the one in front of me, I let a grin lift my lips as I shrugged.

“I wasn’t going to ask anything. You hurt my mate.”

His brow furrowed as I crossed the space between us. He braced, but there was nothing more he could do with all five limbs attached to bars sturdy enough to withstand a varku charge.

I reached up and pinched one finger between two of mine, smile in place, then bent it backward.

Slowly.

His eyes widened and his breathing deepened, but he didn’t beg. He didn’t struggle, and his kethra barely brightened.

Until the joint gave with a wet snap.

His growl filled the cell. For such small things, fingers caused an inordinate amount of pain.

I released the dislocated finger and took hold of the next. He bared his teeth, snarling as his markings flared, but he didn’t try to resist.

There was no point.

I broke the second one and moved on to the next. By the time I reached the fifth he was panting and a faint sheen of sweat coated his skin that had nothing to do with the heat of the surface.

I’d gone slow enough that the first two digits were already swelling, and he hissed when I took hold of the first one once more instead of moving to his other hand. I’d only dislocated one joint, and there were still two more.

“What do you want?”

My smile grew.

Questions gave prisoners control. Ask a question, and they knew what information mattered. They could decide what to reveal and what to hide, or what lie might satisfy you.

That was the mistake interrogators made, but I wasn't interested in negotiating.

Not yet.

I twisted the finger and dislocated another joint. He screamed, but I was thinking of the bruises around Elaina's ankle.

I moved to the next finger and pictured the cut along her hairline, then twisted.

Dust had filled the Archives, making it impossible for me to see her when I slipped into the room. It had been my terror that had torn through the bond when the explosion hit, not hers.

His voice cracked when he started begging as I took hold of the third finger.

“Stop!”

Raising a brow, I paused but didn’t release him. Not because he'd asked, but because I wanted him to believe he still had a chance to end the pain.

He sagged against the bars, the heaving of his chest making him rock as he hung limp for a moment. I lowered my head until our eyes met, but I said nothing.

His gaze flicked toward the door as if he expected someone to stop me, but Rhydek was the only other present, and he wouldn’t interfere. The rebel must have realized that because he swallowed and shook his head.

“You're insane.”

I huffed a laugh and shrugged.

“Perhaps. You’ve heard of what I’ve done.”

He grimaced and shifted.

“What do you want?”

Straightening, I dislocated the third finger and reached for the fourth, but he began thrashing in his bonds even though we both knew it was useless. There was no chance of him getting away.

I caught his wrist in my hand, pinning it to the bar behind it.

“No, no! Wait!”

I selected the next broken finger and his kethra flashed so bright it made my eyes sting.

“I can tell you what you want to know. Where we meet, how we pass messages, how we planned the attacks…”

I waited. I still hadn't asked a question, but he offered the information himself.

His chest heaved and he remained silent until my grip tightened. Grimacing, he hung his head and spoke to my chest.

“You want the others.”

My grin was vicious and it was probably a good thing that he couldn’t see it. The others were exactly what I wanted, but I couldn’t let him know he was right.

“Are you sure?”

I could scent his pain. His fear. He’d given up fighting his kethra and they shone with it.

“There aren't many of us. Not who are willing to do anything besides talk.”

I waited in silence, watching him. It was a half-truth, and vague enough that it was useless.

He lifted his head, opening his mouth then closing it, as if he hoped that had been enough. I twisted, the dull thump of his joint giving a small drop of satisfaction that did nothing to quench the flames of fury.

“Wait!”

His voice trembled and I heard him trying to swallow down the bile rising from the pain.

“We are divided. Kept in small groups. Most never know more than a few others.”

It was smart. Keeping everyone separate meant that capturing one wouldn't expose them all.

I took hold of the next finger and his green skin blanched.

“Nine.”

I arched a brow.

“Nine what?”

Rhydek’s voice rumbled from behind the rebel and he startled as if he’d forgotten the other alpha was there.

“Here. In Korvashan. There were only nine of us left willing to take action.”

I stared at him.

Nine?

We had expected dozens.

“You're lying.”

I tightened my grip.

“No!”

I bent his finger but stopped before the joint popped.

“There are only eight now! There were more before, but we knew Rhydek was trying to find us, and the others were too scared after the last group died.”

His shouts echoed from the stone.

“I swear by Shaevrin. Some left Korvashan, others said we'd already lost. That the Torvakai and Torashkar had made their decision, and there was nothing we could do. You already killed Deyrath in the Archives. There are only six others still free!”

I straightened his finger but kept hold of it.

“Only six?”

He nodded, sweat dripping from his face as relief ran through me.

Six wasn't an army, it was barely a problem. A dangerous one, but a problem that could be hunted down and removed.

Suspicion came next. Nine warriors seemed like too few to have planned and carried out the attacks.

“Why the explosion?”

His jaw clenched. His expression said he didn't want to tell me, and I couldn’t help chuckling. His kethra flared until I released his finger, then for a heartbeat, relief crossed his face.

Until I grabbed his whole hand.

His scream started before I even applied pressure. When I squeezed, he thrashed, kicking and fighting, but there was no give in his chains.

“Who?”

It was the question that mattered.

His eyes squeezed shut and I tightened my hand. His scream turned shrill as bones shifted within my grip, and for a brief moment I worried he’d lose consciousness.

“I don’t know!”

I stopped squeezing.

“What?”

“Th—The charge. It wasn't ours.”

I stared at him as he panted. His eyes were dull, and he was starting to shiver. Shock was setting in and he wouldn’t be useful for much longer.

“Explain.”

It took him three more breaths to speak.

“We were told there would be a charge planted on the far wall to help us get away.”

“By who?”

“I—I don't know.”

I squeezed and he screamed again, hanging from the chains holding his wrists in place.

“I don't! I don’t!”

I heard the second prisoner shout something but couldn’t make it out, so I ignored him.

“Someone told you they were going to blow the wall?”

“Yes.”

His eyes were closed and his voice a broken whisper when I eased my grip.

“By who?”

He shook his head, letting out a groan.

“I never met him.”

“Then how were you told they would be there?”

He gulped a breath.

“A message was left for us in the statue of Zaryth in the Fungus Gardens.”

The location meant nothing to me, but Rhydek would investigate it.

“Who told you to attack Elaina in the Archives?”

Silence.

I shifted my grip and a strangled cry left his throat.

“A messenger told us the attack at Khavren failed. Another message was left telling us to find her in the Archives.”

“The messenger?”

He released what almost sounded like a sob.

“I don't know.”

I waited for a moment before moving on.

“Male?”

He nodded.

“His luth’rein?”

His hesitation was so slight another might have missed it, but I didn't. I started to squeeze.

“I couldn’t see! He—He covered himself. Wore a thavren. I never saw more than his eyes.”

“Color?”

“Amber.”

“Scent?”

He hesitated again before whispering, “He used shyrek.”

My eyes narrowed. Shyrek was hard to produce and harder to buy. There were few who would have access to it, but it was a convenient excuse.

Except I’d seen the way the rebel cringed as he said it, knowing I wasn’t going to believe him.

I glanced over his shoulder and met Rhydek’s eyes. He nodded, thinking the same thing.

“Yet you trusted him?” I asked the sagging male before me.

He nodded wearily, letting out a breath when I didn’t squeeze.

“He knew things.”

Curious, I cocked my head.

“What things?”

Another hesitation as the rebel’s eyes met mine, then flitted away. I barely tensed my hand before he was talking again.

“Patrols. When warriors changed posts. Where each of the Humans were at specific times.”

My blood chilled and I barely kept my kethra calm.

“Anything else?”

He swallowed before answering.

“He knew about the Humans.”

We hadn’t kept it secret that we were taking Human mates, but the exact times of the galas and our return would have been harder to discover.

“Before they arrived?” I confirmed, and he nodded.

The only way someone would have known the women were coming to Morrakan before they arrived was if they were on the ship, or in communication with someone who was. We’d suspected a rebel was on the Zeydrassk, but the Zeydrassk and her crew were currently on the other side of the galaxy chasing the Skarashk.

“How?”

He groaned again and shook his head.

“I don't know.”

My grip tightened automatically even though his tone told me he was telling the truth.

“I don't! We asked, but he said it didn't matter.”

I snarled in his face, finally letting my fury show.

“Then what did matter?”

He gave me a look as if it was obvious even as he gagged.

“Stopping them!”

I scoffed, easing my grip once more.

“Why?”

The prisoner's face twisted into something approaching disgust.

“You know why.”

A spark of the pride that had kept him standing before returned, but I pressed my forearm against him, pinning him to the bars with my face a breath from his.

“No. Tell me.”

His lip twitched like he wanted to snarl but he thought better of it. His voice was a controlled hiss when he answered.

“They're changing us. Making us weak.”

The words came with more venom.

“Humans come here and invade our home. Corrupt our customs and years of tradition. Our blood.”

My lip lifted and I let out a low growl.

“You tried to murder my mate because she kisses me and reads our books?”

His own chest vibrated, the alpha part of him unable to ignore a challenge despite his circumstances.

“She shouldn't be here. You shouldn’t have claimed her!”

My fist hit his face before I decided to move. His head snapped sideways and blood sprayed from his mouth. I caught his throat before he could slump, lifting him as high as his chains allowed.

“She. Is. Mine!”

His eyes rolled toward me, and I tightened my claws until the tips pierced his flesh before controlling myself. We still needed more information.

“The messenger?”

His gaze remained on me and I shook him, but he refused to speak.

Releasing him, I let his chains catch his weight as he dragged in desperate gasps. Crouching, I dragged a finger through the sand of the kennel floor.

The rebel's breathing slowed and his expression grew wary, making me grin once more.

“What is the purpose of killing the Humans?”

His brows bunched and his lip curled back.

“To protect Morrakan.”

I tossed my head back and laughed, rising. He still hung limp against his chains, but his head followed me.

“How?”

He huffed, taking two breaths before answering.

“Once they start coming, they won’t stop. Torvakai, Torashkar, Torthyrrak, and now Torvashek… all bound and weakened by Human females. All influenced, poisoned by their ways.”

My thoughts moved quickly. Someone had found a group of dissatisfied Morraki, fed their fears, provided intelligence, and when their resistance failed to accomplish enough, he'd pushed them toward blood.

“Our warriors, leaders, the ones who decide what Morrakan becomes, have all fallen to them. It won’t be long before they bring down all of us, and it will be your fault.”

His fear was genuine. I could smell it.

I turned, staring out into the night. The wind howled past the open end of the kennel, the stars twinkling overhead.

He didn't know anything more.

I turned to face him once again but focused on Rhydek in the corridor beyond.

“That's all he knows.”

The rebel’s eyes went wide.

“No!”

He shook his head, but I cocked a brow and sighed.

“It is.”

He swallowed hard and I knew he was trying to think of what to say to stop me, but he had outlived his usefulness.

“You haven’t given me names or descriptions. You’re useless.”

He stared, mouth hanging open as he tried to regain his feet and stand upright.

“But you said—”

I cut him off.

“I said nothing.”

His mouth closed with a snap as I stepped toward him.

“You decided to talk. I never promised what would happen if you did.”

His pupils were so wide they almost looked round like a Human’s.

“So, give me a reason not to kill a male who harmed my korravai.”

The first name came quickly. Then another. By the third, he was trembling.

I made him repeat them. Locations where they met or left messages. How they communicated. Everything he knew.

Sighing, I crossed my arms and shook my head.

“You have nothing left to offer.”

He blinked before his eyes went wide. I tipped my head, waiting to see if he’d contradict me.

“I told you everything I know.”

I believed he had. It was enough for us to track down others, who would then give us more names.

“So we’re done?”

His voice was so hopeful. I grinned, and his face went slack at the expression.

“We are.”

I stepped past him and opened the door. I left him alive, just as I’d implied I would.

Rhydek waited in the corridor. He had heard it all and his expression was grim, but he knew as well as I that what we’d learned would be enough.

For now.

Zharrek strode past us, heading for the open kennel door. He was the only varku allowed within Korvashan, and it was odd to see him without Rhydek’s omega, especially since he was her protection when Rhydek wasn’t around.

Rhydek must have noticed my questioning gaze because he lifted one shoulder.

“Watching him eat makes her sick now, so I’ve started bringing him here to eat,” Rhydek said by way of explanation.

The rebel’s scream was brief, although the crunching of bones lasted a while longer.

“He’s lucky it was a feeding night, or it would have been Veyr’sahl Vorrada.”

I huffed at Rhydek’s remark, unsure whether the rebel would have found the quick death by the varku to be a mercy. It was too late to ask if he’d rather be stripped and released into the night.

Letting out a sigh, I glanced out at the stars once more. For the first time since I'd begun investigating the rebels, the end seemed near. It wouldn’t come that night, and perhaps not even the next, but we would find them. Their hiding places would be searched, their connections traced, and the rebellion that had seemed to be woven throughout Korvashan would become a lanced boil that we could cut out.

I looked at Rhydek once more but he didn't look relieved. In truth, neither was I, because every moment it took to find the others was a moment our omegas were at risk.

“Who could it be, feeding them information?”

Rhydek's expression hardened as he shook his head.

“It could be too many.”

I sighed. Neither of us said the obvious.

There was something we were missing. Some connection we couldn't see yet.

Rhydek looked toward the second cell.

“He may know more.”

I followed his gaze and the darkness inside me stirred. I wanted to go in, wanted to tear every secret from him, but the anchor in my chest throbbed with discomfort, and then a thread of confusion snaked in.

Elaina.

She was awake, and I wasn’t there.

Rhydek didn’t miss the way my head snapped toward the nearest entrance to the tunnels.

“Go.”

I raised a brow at him but he jerked his head.

“I can question the other.”

“Are you sure?”

It wasn’t that I doubted Rhydek’s ability to be merciless, but he had a reputation of being fair, even if he was equally hard on everyone.

“I can handle it. They hurt my korravai too.”

Another pulse came through the bond. The prisoner no longer mattered, and Rhydek had a right to revenge as well.

I nodded and Rhydek's mouth twitched before he turned and headed for the second rebel we’d caught. I ignored the scream the pitiful male let out the moment Rhydek opened his cage and started toward the stairs.

The wind struck the moment I left the protection of the kennel, but I barely noticed the pain when sand snuck through at the edges of my clothing. Only six rebels were hidden below if the one I’d questioned had been right.

Six.

Not dozens. Not an invisible army hidden throughout Korvashan.

Just six frightened, angry Morraki, and three names we could hunt down. Someone had wanted the Humans frightened, hurt, killed, and had used fear to accomplish it without exposing himself, but we would find him. We could end the risk to our mates.

My pace quickened. I could feel Elaina more clearly as I descended. She was awake and irritated, and the emotion put a real smile on my face.

Irritation was better than worry. She would be angry that I'd left without telling her, and she had the right to be.

I would tell her where I had gone. There would be no more secrets between us, I'd promised her that.

I was still learning what the promise required, but the bond was eternal, and we would figure it out.

I reached our door and opened it. Elaina stood in the middle of the room wrapped in a blanket, curls wild around her shoulders.

She glared at me as my grin widened.

“Where the hell have you been?”

I chuckled as I crossed the room. She opened her mouth, probably to continue yelling at me, but I picked her up instead.

“Drazien!”

Her legs automatically wrapped around my waist, and I buried my face against her neck to breathe in her scent. There was no lingering dust or blood covering her sweetness, and my shaft stirred as I drank it down.

My rethari.

Her irritation softened through the bond, but her arms didn't circle my neck.

“You snuck out while I slept.”

I nodded against her before pulling back to meet her gaze.

“I did.”

I could see her struggling over what to ask next, but all I did was reach up to brush her curls off her face.

“Did they talk?”

My lips ticked up on one side. My rethari was too smart for her own good, but it was the bloodlust leaking into the bond that made my shaft thicken and rise.

“One did, but he’s not able to any longer. Rhydek is confirming with the other.”

Her expression sharpened and I felt a questioning push through the bond. Apparently she decided she didn’t need the details, and I was only too happy not to admit how close I had been to losing all control.

Leaning close, she passed her lips over mine, her breath fanning against my skin and making my kethra shine.

“Then take me to bed and make me feel safe again.”

What my omega wanted, she got, so I headed for our nest.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Elaina

It had become normal to wake with Drazien’s tail inside me, but instead of simply resting there, it was moving, thrusting in and out at a lazy pace, the tip curling to drag along my inner walls.

“Drazien!”

My voice was husky with sleep and not nearly threatening enough considering it felt like I’d only just gone to sleep after waking to find him gone in the middle of the night, but the crystals were shining with red light, meaning it was well past dawn.

We still needed to have that conversation, but it clearly wasn’t going to happen right now.

“I need you, rethari.”

He spoke the words against my neck before trailing his lips over one of his marks. Each time he touched it, it was like he was touching my clit, the nerves lighting up and sending sparks of pleasure through me to pool in my belly.

I was already dripping slick, his tail making obscene noises as it moved within me, and it wasn’t long before moans escaped my throat as I neared my peak.

Drazien shifted, rolling me fully onto my stomach and covering my back, his weight pressing me into the bedding. I could feel his erection along the cleft of my ass, but he didn’t move to replace his tail with it.

“Give me your pleasure, shael.”

His tongue dragged along my neck as he shoved one hand beneath me to press a finger to my clit. I shattered, clenching around his tail and crying out into the pillow.

The moment the high faded he lifted off my back and gripped my hips, pulling them up until I was on my knees. He yanked his tail from my core, but I was only empty for a moment before he was surging into me, stretching me around his cock.

“Oh-umph,” was all I could say as the air was forced out of my lungs.

A growl filled the air around us and the tips of his claws dug into me from his grip on my hips. He’d barely seated himself inside me before he was pulling back and slamming in again.

He was usually far more careful, but I could feel the throbbing need within him. The instinctive desire to stake his claim once more and assure himself that I was okay. That I was still there.

Still his.

My instincts rose to match, urging me to lift my hips higher as I clenched my hands in the bedding. My cheek was already pressed to the pillow, my breasts rubbing against the sheet beneath me each time I jolted forward, but I shivered when one of his hands left my hip to slide up my spine to my nape.

His fingers reached all the way around the back of my neck, but the pressure he applied was carefully controlled. He was asserting his dominance without causing pain or discomfort, and my body responded by melting and releasing more slick.

“You will never be placed in danger again. You will never carry bruises from another. You will never bleed for another.”

He snarled the words, never slowing his pace as he kept slamming into me. His tail was curled around the front of my thighs, helping hold me in place, but the tip slipped between my legs to press against my clit.

I’d already been approaching the cliff once more, and the added friction pushed me right to the edge.

Leaning over my back, his warmth burned into my spine as he pressed his forehead to my cheek, murmuring, “You are mine, rethari. My thorn. My omega. My shael.”

Something inside him felt desperate, and while I wasn’t sure what had brought on this sudden need for reassurance, I gave it.

“Yes, I am yours.”

It was hard to get the words out since I could barely breathe between his punishing thrusts and the weight of him pressing down on me, but I knew he heard me. Knew he felt the truth of it.

“As I am yours.”

The tip of his tail began to circle as he responded, and it threw me over the edge. I shuddered, light bursting behind my eyes as waves of pleasure rippled from my center, but Drazien wasn’t done with me yet.

He pulled out of me, leaving me wide-eyed and gasping as the world rotated. Pillows fell off the edge of the bed and blankets tangled around us, but he didn’t let them get in the way of pulling me atop him.

The position didn’t mean I had any control over what was happening. I was on top, but he was still in charge, sheathing himself in me as if I were nothing more than a toy for his use.

And I was.

He moved me up and down his shaft, both hands back on my hips so I didn’t have to do any of the work. I just placed my palms on his chest and tried to breathe.

That grew harder to do when his tail pressed against my back hole, surging inside the next time he brought me down his length. I’d already felt full, but with the addition of his tail inside me, I was stretched to the limit.

My fingers curled, nails digging into the flesh beneath me. Drazien’s lips pulled back, showing his teeth, but the threat emanating from him was only to my sanity.

“Mark me again, rethari. I want the universe to see I’m yours.”

Lost in the throes of heat, I hadn’t even thought about it before biting him, but I didn’t have that excuse this time. Despite that, I didn’t hesitate.

He needed it, and I wanted to do it.

My nipples dragged against his rough skin as I leaned down. I couldn’t reach his neck, I was being rocked too much to even try to stretch that far, so I dug my teeth into the muscle of his chest, directly over his heart.

It took more effort than I remembered. But I clenched my jaw, biting down until my teeth pierced his flesh. The moment my bite broke through, he slammed me down one last time, his knot ballooning inside me as we both came.

Jet after jet of his cum pulsed into me as I shuddered atop him, my limbs weak and trembling. His pleasure poured through my chest to swirl with mine, making it grow until it was all there was.

There was no bed beneath us. No rebels we’d captured, that he’d snuck off in the night to question. No secret plots, or hidden plans, or dangers.

There was just us, together, our pleasure feeding into each other, shared between us the way everything was through the bond.

I didn’t know how I hadn’t believed in it before or why I’d tried to run from it.

I was panting, dizzy from the high as I laid on Drazien’s chest. His hand moved up and down my back, a soft purr vibrating my cheek, a hint of blood laced within the scent of slick and seed. I would have been perfectly content to lie there for the rest of the day if my stomach hadn’t chosen that moment to rumble.

“I have been negligent, rethari. You need food.”

I turned my head enough to look up at Drazien, arching a brow as a lazy smile crossed my face.

“You were busy fulfilling a different hunger.”

He huffed and his usual smirk smoothed the crease between his brows. I still didn’t quite understand his need to feed me, but since bonding I had been able to feel how strong it was, so I didn’t question it.

It took a while for his knot to soften enough for me to pull off of him. It was uncomfortable since he was still partially inflated, but Drazien immediately made it up to me by licking me to another orgasm.

My stomach growled again while I was coming down once more, and Drazien shook his head.

“They warned me about the sounds, but that is still concerning.”

Chuckling, I rolled over and covered my face.

“I can’t help it.”

He started to say something else but was interrupted by a beeping I hadn’t heard before. Raising my head, I watched as he frowned while reaching for his communication device.

His eyes lifted to mine a moment later, and while I felt a hint of irritation in the bond, it didn’t show on his face.

“Let’s clean up and get you fed. Then we must meet with Rhydek.”

My own brows bunched as I sat upright, dragging the sheet with me. I knew Rhydek was the one who had put Drazien in charge of finding the rebels, and he was the leader of Morrakan while the Torvakai was gone.

“We shouldn’t make him wait.”

If he had news about the rebels, I wanted to know, and my appetite died at the thought of what he might have to tell us.

Drazien leaned back over the bed, placing a fist on each side of my legs before claiming my mouth for a searing kiss. I tasted us on his tongue when he pushed it into my mouth, and by the time he pulled away I’d almost forgotten we were supposed to be doing anything other than what we’d already been doing since we woke.

“I have no problem taking you straight to him, but I feel as if I should remind you of our… sensitive noses.”

I groaned. Part of me wanted to say fuck it and skip the bath, but more of me was sweaty and sticky, and apparently, smelly.

“Fine. A quick bath.”

Of course Drazien didn’t listen, knotting me again in the pool he took me to. He washed my hair as I clung to him, trying to get my legs to cooperate, but they refused to work with his knot lodged behind my pubic bone.

Soaping my breasts almost led to more sex, but another reminder from my stomach that it was achingly empty had him sighing and pulling away from me.

“Dress, before I decide whatever news he has can wait. I can always feed you my seed to quiet your belly’s snarling.”

Laughing, I was tempted to take him up on the offer, but I knew Rhydek wouldn’t call Drazien unless it was something important. We had plenty of time to indulge in each other, but the Torashkar couldn’t be ignored.

We dressed and headed for the Market, where Drazien bought several sahvey for the two of us. The burrito-style meal was easy to eat as we walked back up to the High Ledge, and I was done by the time we strode through the main cavern that split into separate tunnels.

My eyes automatically went to the one that led to the Archives, and I took a step towards it before stopping. The last memory I had of the space had been utter ruin, and a piece of me needed to see if it was truly as bad as it had seemed or if it was salvageable, but there were chains across the tunnel entrance.

“What—”

Drazien’s tail curled around my waist as he placed an arm across my shoulders and turned me in a different direction.

“They want to be sure the stone is stable before they allow anyone in. Repairs have already begun.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, blinking to clear the sting that threatened to become tears. So many books and scrolls had to have been damaged, possibly ruined, and I had no idea if there were other copies.

My heart couldn’t take the answer if there weren’t, so I didn’t ask. I walked at Drazien’s side with a new anger burning in my chest, ready to hear what had become of the rebels we had caught. Drazien had promised there would be no more secrets between us, and I was going to hold him to it.

Drazien led me to a small cave off a tunnel I had never seen before. One wall was painted with what looked like a map, a single continent filling most of the space.

I’d been hoping to see Taryn again. There were certain questions I wanted to ask one of the few other Humans who had become an omega, but a quick glance showed me Taryn wasn’t there.

Rhydek must have realized that was who I was looking for because he said, “She’s resting.”

There was something careful in the way he said it. I knew Taryn was pregnant, but the idea still felt strange. There hadn’t been a Human-Morraki hybrid before, so no one knew exactly what to expect.

“How is she?”

“Fine.”

The answer came too quickly. Drazien thought so too, because I felt his spike of worry.

“Rhydek?”

The other male’s jaw tightened before he sighed and rubbed a hand down his face.

“She’s fine. Saed says everything is progressing as it should, but her stomach is being disagreeable.”

“Morning sickness?”

Rhydek frowned but his focus sharpened.

“It is not limited to mornings.”

I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. It was cute to see the massive, scarred alien worried over a little normal vomiting.

Drazien didn’t bother hiding his amusement, and Rhydek growled at both of us before gesturing toward the seats.

“The other prisoner confirmed what you learned last night.”

All amusement disappeared at Rhydek’s announcement. Drazien pulled my seat out before sitting beside me, close enough that our thighs touched.

“Can you find all of them?”

“Eight remained after the Archives, but two of those have been taken care of.”

Relief loosened something inside me even though I knew I should feel something else at the news that they’d killed the two who had been captured. But six was a manageable number. It was nothing like the sprawling network I’d imagined.

“Did you get names?”

Rhydek’s gaze flashed to Drazien before he responded.

“Three we’re confident of. Two more possibilities.”

Drazien leaned forward.

“When do we confirm?”

“We already traced one. It led us to a meyr’kal on the Common Level. Empty, but they left in haste.”

Drazien snarled.

“Recently enough to track?”

Rhydek seemed reluctant to confirm, and since I could feel the turmoil inside Drazien, I could understand his reasons.

“Possibly. Zharrek is searching the tunnels now.”

I stared between them, trying to guess who Zharrek was. Drazien’s shoulders lost a touch of the tension bunching them, so it had to be someone he trusted to be able to find any traces the rebel might have left.

“Will he find them?”

Rhydek’s golden gaze settled on me, the look on his face making me shiver.

“If it’s possible, he will.”

The certainty in his voice made me believe him.

The assurance that another of the rebels might meet their end made the threat feel finite. It turned it into something that could actually end, and I had helped bring that about.

“Any guess at who was giving them information?”

Rhydek’s expression hardened at Drazien’s question, and suddenly the relief that had been building collapsed.

“That is less clear.”

Drazien’s tail tightened where it was wound around my calf.

“The second prisoner gave no new clues?”

“Everything he knew had passed through another member of the cell. He was nobody.”

Drazien hung his head before jerking it back up.

“The messenger. We need to find that one.”

Rhydek dipped his head, saying, “That is the intention.”

He leaned back in his seat, staring at the wall for a moment before speaking again.

“He did confirm that the rebels don’t know about Taryn’s pregnancy yet.”

Drazien released a quiet breath. I hadn't realized how worried he'd been about that until relief flowed through our bond once more. Rhydek met our eyes again before speaking to Drazien.

“We intend to keep it that way as long as possible. For the safety of both of them.”

If these people thought Human women simply existing here was enough reason to kill, I didn't want to imagine what they'd think about the first child with both Human and Morraki blood. The attacks would only grow more extreme, and Morrakan wouldn’t be safe for any of us.

“We won't say anything.”

Rhydek dipped his chin.

Silence settled for a moment before Drazien shifted beside me. He was watching Rhydek, and from the outside he appeared perfectly calm, but I could feel the whirling inside him.

“You didn’t summon us to tell us only that.”

Rhydek’s mouth flattened and he released a breath before confirming.

“No.”

Something in his tone made my stomach tighten, and I looked from him to my mate.

“Rowena is returning.”

I didn’t know who that was, but the surge of concern flooding into me had me straightening.

“Why?”

Drazien’s tone was sharp and I held my breath, hoping something they said would clue me in as to why they both seemed concerned.

“She was having difficulty on Earth. They are not suited to help an omega.”

My eyes widened as I looked between the two men, inferring what hadn’t been said. If Rowena was an omega and she was returning from Earth, that meant she had to be Human.

But what had happened? If she had been here at one time, why had she left?

The name tugged at me as if I should know it, but I couldn’t figure out why.

“When?”

“Two days.”

Drazien frowned at Rhydek.

“I thought the Zeydrassk was battling the Skarashk.”

“She is. Rowena is aboard a scout ship.”

Rhydek drew another breath before saying, “There's more.”

Worry churned inside my chest, and it wasn’t only mine. I’d been hoping for good news, and while the information about the rebels had been hopeful, it seemed the rest wasn’t.

“I received a transmission from Kael.”

Everything inside Drazien went still, and I held my breath.

“The Skarashk?”

I didn’t have to think about that name. It was one that had been mentioned in enough of the transmissions I’d translated to know what they were, and I knew Kael had been going to Halcyon to help with a Skarashk colony ship closing in on the planet.

“They made landing.”

Every muscle in Drazien's body tightened beside me, but I didn’t get a chance to process as he started asking questions.

“How? The Zeydrassk should have reached the colony before them. The Zeydvorrash was already in the sector.”

Rhydek’s pause did terrible things to my nerves.

“The Zeydvorrash is no more. The Zeydskorr barely escaped, and they’re bringing Rowena with them to get repairs.”

Rhydek leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his knees and placing his face in his hands.

“We don't have enough information yet. The initial report stated increased speed and some kind of new deployment method. They thought the Skarashk ship was passing by, then suddenly they were receiving reports of attacks on the surface.”

My stomach dropped and I stared down at my hand wrapped in Drazien's. Only an hour ago, the world had consisted of our bed, and his body, and the certainty that whatever had happened in the Archives was almost over.

Catching the rebels had seemed like an ending, but I’d forgotten about the other issues humanity faced. It was now small enough for me to see the others waiting behind it.

Drazien must have felt the direction of my thoughts because his tail slid around my waist, pulling me closer.

“There are warriors on the Zeydrassk. They can hold back a swarm until more arrive.”

Rhydek’s expression was dark, and for a moment I worried he was going to deliver more bad news. Eventually he stood and turned to stare at the map on the wall.

“We will find the remaining rebels first. We need to determine who supplied them with information and stamp out the threat to our omegas before sending more warriors elsewhere.”

His gold eyes turned to lock on us.

“This is when we will be considered weakest. Either the Humans or the rebels could decide to attack. Until we receive more news from Halcyon, there is nothing else we can do.”

I hated how sensible it sounded, but a soldier knew there was always something else.

Another threat.

Another mystery.

Another reason to worry.

But as Drazien stood and pulled me up with him, I realized something else had changed.

A week ago, news like this would have made me think about Earth. About whether I had made a mistake coming to a planet where the wind could flay my skin and people tried to kill me simply because of what I was.

But those thoughts never came. Instead, I was trying to think of what I could do to help.

Drazien looked down at me, and something warm flowed through the bond as if he'd sensed my realization.

Whatever came next, I wasn't going anywhere. I’d finally found my place, and it was here, on Morrakan, at Drazien’s side.

He didn’t want to put me in danger, but I wasn’t going to let him face a threat alone. If risking myself meant saving others, I would do it again.

Even if the smirk on his lips promised punishment for those thoughts.

Epilogue

Drazien

I had spent most of my life moving through rooms without being noticed. Elaina had apparently done the same but had dedicated herself to changing that.

I stopped in the doorway and stared. There were books everywhere.

Not scattered carelessly. Elaina would never have tolerated that. They were stacked, sorted in some mysterious manner, and organized according to some system that made no sense to me but undoubtedly made perfect sense to her.

The pile of things I’d purchased during Khavren had disappeared, as had her containers that had sat against the wall for so long, replaced by evidence of my mate spreading throughout every part of the home I had once considered mine. A folded blanket rested over the back of the new bench, three pillows had appeared where there had previously been one, and one of the small sculptures she'd admired during the festival now occupied the shelf where I normally left weapons that required maintenance.

I frowned at it, the tiny animal carved from dark stone staring back.

“That is not where that belongs.”

Elaina glanced over her shoulder. She sat cross-legged on the floor surrounded by her things, curls pulled away from her face in the braid she usually wore. Her expression told me she'd already decided I was wrong.

“It’s cute.”

My eyes narrowed.

“My sharpening stone goes there.”

One bare shoulder lifted.

“You have other shelves.”

She went back to what she’d been doing as if the conversation was finished.

“So do you.”

She looked at the sculpture, tipping her head.

“But I like it there.”

The bond pulsed with amusement even as I let out a low growl. She knew she would get what she wanted and had already won.

“You refused to unpack for so long…”

“And now I’ve improved this place so much.”

I snorted.

My home hadn't needed to be improved. It was on the High Ledge. It was one of the best in Korvashan, and it had been efficient. Everything had its place and purpose. Weapons ready for use, clothing hidden in trunks, and emergency food stored in the cabinets. There hadn’t been anything unnecessary or decorative. I honestly hadn’t spent enough time in it to bother with more than the necessities.

Elaina had changed all that within days. It had gone from a place where I slept and kept my things, to a home.

A woven hanging now covered part of the wall. Scrolls occupied half the table. A second chair had appeared beside mine.

And the bed…

She had replaced almost everything on it. Had turned it into a true nest that carried the scent of both of us.

And I liked it.

That might have been the most disturbing part, but anywhere that held her scent would have felt like home.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to make room.”

Concern bit into the contentment that had filled me.

“For?”

She gestured around herself.

“The new books.”

I stared, not understanding what she meant.

“There are already books everywhere.”

“Exactly.”

Her two-tone eyes lifted to mine as if I should be able to see the problem.

“Then why do you need more room?”

She gestured, drawing my attention to what was beside her.

“Because these need shelves still.”

I looked at the stack of leatherbound books, then the next. It seemed as if she had just as many piled beside her as there were scattered around my previously bare home, and not all of them were Morraki. There must have been some in her containers.

“How many did you buy?”

I hadn’t realized she’d left, and I didn’t like the idea of her going to the Markets alone. Even knowing there were less rebels than we’d feared, they hadn’t been eliminated yet, so she was still in danger.

Her brows rose and she gave me a look that said I was being stupid.

“You bought them.”

I sucked in a breath before crossing the room, stepping carefully between piles. It was true that I’d purchased almost everything she’d shown interest in, but I hadn’t realized there was so much of it.

“The Archives will reopen.”

Her expression shifted slightly and I felt the flicker of hurt brought by mentioning the Archives. I regretted reminding her even if the news should have been good.

Elaina sighed and glanced around the room.

“Eventually.”

She felt guilty for what had happened even though I’d assured her it wasn’t her fault. We’d chosen the Archives to keep others safe. Lives were more important than words that could be reprinted.

“They've already stabilized the damaged wall. They’re going to make another entrance.”

She huffed but still wouldn’t meet my eyes. Sinking to my knees before her, I reached out and took her chin, forcing her to look at me.

“Most of the collection survived. None of this was your fault.”

Sighing, the stiffness in her body eased and she seemed to sink into herself.

“I know.”

She said it softly. The damage had bothered her more than she'd admitted. I'd known it from the moment she'd seen the chains blocking the passage and she’d looked like she'd found a corpse.

Books were apparently almost as important to my mate as lives. Possibly more.

I reached into the back of my belt and pulled free the narrow wrapped bundle I'd brought home. Her attention turned to it the moment I released her chin.

“What is that?”

“Something they recovered.”

Her eyes widened as I held it out. She took it carefully, as if whatever was inside might break if she held it too tight.

The fabric came away to reveal a damaged scroll. One edge had turned black and dust clung to the hide, but it was still readable.

Elaina gasped as she unrolled the top portion. It was the scroll she’d been reading prior to the attack.

“It was on the floor near your table. The keepers were going to throw it away. But I told them you had been reading it and would want it.”

She looked at me, a crease between her brows.

“You know which scroll I was reading?”

I huffed, arching a brow as my lips twitched into a smirk.

“Of course I know.”

My tail snaked around her, coming up between her legs as I leaned forward. I pressed my palms to the floor beside her knees, dragging my nose up her neck until my lips found her earlobe.

“I know everything you like.”

She made a disbelieving noise, as if that wasn’t possible, but something warm moved through the bond. Not just lust, and more than amusement. Something soft and quiet that reminded me of when she wrapped her arms around me.

“Then prove it.”

There was desire laced through the challenge, and I was only too happy to meet both. Standing, I reached down to lift her into my arms, but she caught my wrist before I could.

“Thank you, Drazien. For everything.”

There were layers beneath the words. The bond carried them even if she couldn’t say it.

For remembering.

For understanding.

For encouraging something she loved.

I curled my tail around her waist and pulled her up, dragging her against me so I could breathe her scent in from the source, my arms wrapped around her.

“You don't need to thank me for caring about you.”

Her brow lifted.

“About me?”

“Rethari…”

She chuckled at my growl before gasping when I swept her into my arms.

“I was just wondering how long it would take before you said you need me.”

I pulled back to look down at her, the amusement draining away so she would know I was serious.

“I do. Always.”

That silenced her, and I enjoyed the rare victory until she smiled. Not the teasing smile she'd worn through most of our arguments, but something softer.

More dangerous.

“Good. Because I'm going to need another shelf.”

I stared at her, mouth hanging open even as my feet took us towards the nest.

“Another?”

She nodded.

“Probably several.”

“Elaina.”

I growled and she just laughed. That was apparently my future, arguing about storage and how many books she was allowed to fill our home with. I had faced Skarashk and Morraki alike, killed enemies with my bare hands, survived storms that stripped flesh from bone…

And yet I was losing territory in my own home to a tiny, curvy Human, who only had to smile to get what she wanted.

My lips twitched.

We spent most of the day tangled in the nest, solidifying our bond the way we should have when her heat had ended. When I finally let her out so I could feed her, we finished rearranging the main room.

Or rather, Elaina told me where to move everything, while I objected to every unnecessary change.

She ignored most of my objections. A shelf was relocated, a weapon rack moved, yet the tiny stone animal remained exactly where she'd placed it.

I would move it later, when she was distracted, and then wait to see how long it took for her to notice.

Eventually, Elaina sat on the edge of the bench and surveyed the results. Her satisfaction filled the bond, and it erased everything else, because it was all I wanted.

I stood behind her and rested my hands on her shoulders while she leaned her head back against my stomach.

“Happy now?”

Her eyes closed and her lips curled into a small smile that said this wouldn’t be the last time she got what she wanted despite my protests. Shaevrin had a cruel sense of humor.

“For now.”

It was confirmation that this wasn’t the end.

And that was exactly what I wanted.

Something inside my chest loosened. I hadn't realized I was still worried until the bubble of fear finally dissolved, because some part of me had still expected to wake and discover she'd changed her mind. She had planned to leave once, and I knew being chosen did not mean I was entitled to remain chosen forever.

Elaina felt the shift and opened her eyes to raise a brow at me, but I didn't know how to explain that without sounding weak.

Straightening, she turned on the bench to face me.

“There are things I miss about Earth, but missing something isn't the same as wanting to go back. I know my old life is gone.”

The words carried a wisp of grief, but not the kind that weighed a person down.

“I spent so long thinking that if I could just return with something they wanted, I could make everything go back to the way it was.”

Her fingers crawled up my stomach to trace the mark she'd left over my heart.

“But even if they'd given me my clearance back, my job, my apartment… It wouldn't have been the same.”

She paused for so long I thought she was done.

“Why?”

Her eyes lifted to mine and she smiled up at me.

“Because I'd have known this existed.”

She looked around our cluttered home.

“All the hidden beauty of Korvashan. The treasures in the Archives. Khavren.”

Her gaze returned to mine.

“You.”

Warmth spread through the bond as my tail tightened around her.

“I would always have wondered what I gave up because I was too afraid to let my life change.”

I slid my hands into her hair.

“But now?”

Her lips stretched.

“Now I know.”

Something tightened my throat, and I didn't like it. Emotions were easier when it was rage. Rage had purpose.

This made me feel exposed.

Elaina sensed that too because her expression grew mischievous.

“Besides, someone has to stop you from filling the house with weapons.”

I arched a brow.

“You filled it with books.”

She nodded.

“Books are useful.”

I gestured to the rack she’d made me move to the far corner.

“So are weapons.”

Huffing, she leaned back, but my tail pulled her close again.

“For killing people.”

“Exactly.”

She laughed when I nodded, pushing against me, but I knew she didn’t really want to escape.

“That's not the argument you think it is.”

Chuckling, I was surprised when Elaina used a move I’d taught her to make me stumble back. She rose and slipped her arms around my waist the moment there was space, and she rested her head against my chest.

I curled around her automatically. Arms, tail, every piece of me sought contact with her.

For years I had been satisfied with solitude. Or had convinced myself I was. There had been no family waiting for me. Few friends. No one who noticed when I returned from a mission unless they needed the report.

I had believed that made me stronger. I’d had nothing to lose. Nothing to distract me.

Then a Human female wearing violet had walked through a ballroom trying desperately not to be noticed. I had chosen her because I’d believed she'd be useful.

Easy to control.

Quiet.

Submissive.

I almost laughed again because I had been wrong about nearly everything.

Elaina shifted against me.

“What's funny?”

I smirked down at her.

“You.”

She glared and it only made me smile wider.

“What did I do?”

Leaning down, I stopped with my lips a breath from hers.

“You exist.”

Her huff came out breathy.

“That's rude.”

I hummed, barely brushing my lips over hers.

“It’s accurate.”

She let out a growl, and I just squeezed her tighter. She was mine now, and I wouldn’t let that change.

“My rethari.”

She was the one to close the gap between us, demanding I kiss her.

Outside, the galaxy remained complicated. The rebels weren't gone, someone had fed them information, and Rowena would arrive soon with whatever trouble had driven her back to Morrakan.

And farther away, the Skarashk had reached Halcyon using a method none of us understood.

There would be more missions. More danger and blood. That was the nature of the life I had chosen long before Elaina entered it, but for the first time, those things weren't all I had.

I had a mate who argued with me.

A home I could barely recognize beneath her belongings.

A bond humming between us.

And something worth returning to.

Elaina pulled away and picked up the damaged scroll I’d brought home for her.

“Come on.”

I arched a brow.

“Where?”

She tipped her head toward our room.

“Nessha.”

My tail reached for the edge of the robe she’d wrapped around herself, trying to slip beneath. She rolled her eyes and swatted it away.

“To read, and then sleep.”

My disappointment must have traveled through the bond because she chuckled and shook her head.

“You are insatiable.”

I closed the space between us and pulled her against me.

“And you are slow.”

Scoffing, she tried to pull away, but I didn’t let her.

“At what?”

Laughing, I slipped my hand beneath the silk and took hold of her breast, pinching the nipple between two fingers.

“Everything.”

She growled but I swept her off her feet and carried her into our room, ignoring the insults she muttered in both Common and Morraki. When I placed her on the mattress she immediately began arranging the pillows and tugging the blankets into place.

Nesting.

I watched with satisfaction before joining her. My mate settled against my chest with the rescued scroll open across her lap and my tail curled around her waist. Her finger moved beneath the first line.

“Rhae...”

“All.”

She growled again.

“I knew that.”

I huffed, undoing the band that held her braid together.

“Then why did you pause?”

“Because I'm translating it myself.”

I ran my fingers through her hair until the curls were scattered across my chest.

“Slowly,” I muttered, loud enough for her to hear.

She jabbed an elbow into my ribs and I laughed, moving my tail lower while she was distracted.

She continued reading, and as her voice filled the room with halting Morraki, I rested my chin atop her head and closed my eyes. For most of my life, I'd believed peace meant the absence of danger, but I understood better now.

Danger would always exist.

Peace was having somewhere to return when it was over.

Someone waiting there.

My arms tightened around Elaina, but she didn't protest. She snuggled closer.

My peace.

My home.

And I’d do whatever it took to protect that.

Thanks

I want to thank you so much for reading Bitten in Secrets and Desire! I hope you enjoyed Elaina and Drazien. I wanted their relationship to be different than the other three and writing their snarkiness was fun. If I’m honest, they’re the closest to how me and my husband are, because we trade playful insults more often than we share mushy feelings.

The next book is going to be completely different though, and I hope you’re ready for it! Rowena is returning to Morrakan after spending time back on Earth and realizing how impossible it is to be an omega in a world that doesn’t understand them. She’s not part of the Morrak because she rejected the alpha who chose her, but she’s not Human anymore either, her kethra marking her as different in a way she can’t hide.

The story is going to be darker. Not the romance, but working through her trauma. Have you guessed who her alpha is going to be?

The series doesn’t end with them. Even after we eliminate the rebels, we still have the Skarashk to fight!

I am aiming to release Vowed in Faith and Flames in late November, but it may get pushed into December. The preorder date is set for January just to give me extra time in case something happens, because with 4 kids, something always manages to cause a delay.

She was the first to defy the Morrak.
Now she must decide if she’ll surrender to another.

Rowena Calder survived the Omega Serum, then the attack that changed everything, but it was too much. Rejecting the alpha who chose her, she fled back to Earth carrying scars that never healed.

The problem is, she’s no longer quite Human, and Earth doesn’t feel like home anymore. When her heat comes, neither distance nor regret can hide what she has become.

***

Warrior-priest Teylan Vosir has devoted his life to the Eternal Flame. When he finds Rowena seeking sanctuary in the River Caverns, he sees something in her that she stopped believing existed.

Strength.

Her sorrow draws him closer.
Her scars awaken his devotion.
And her approaching heat ignites an instinct neither can deny.

His acceptance sparks a fire that could unite two wounded souls, but Rowena’s past follows her into the caverns. When the warrior she rejected returns, Teylan stands between them, determined to defend the woman who has become more sacred to him than any rite.

His faith does not demand peace.
And even a priest is still a warrior.

As the dregs of the rebellion close in around them, Rowena must decide whether the scars of her first try will define her…

Or whether she’ll risk everything to choose another.

In faith, there is fire.
In fire, there is passion.

Their love may heal the scars left between two worlds…
Or become the spark that sets them ablaze.

Want More?

If you enjoy Character art and bonus scenes, come check out my Ream page!

Did you know I have three other Alien Omegaverse series’?

The Legion Omegas was the first series I ever wrote, and what the Morrak evolved from. They’re shorter, slow-burn, and good for when you want something quick. (Also available in audio!)

Omega Market combines my love of the Auction trope and reluctant heroines. This series was where I stretched my wings creating new alien species and has some I still love. Book 1 is a bit dark, but all can be read as standalones, and one even features an alpha female/omega male pair!

Sci-Fi Fairytale Fusions is a series I co-wrote with a friend of mine because we both come from military backgrounds and love twisted fairytales. We went all the way back to the Grimm’s Brothers version of the stories, and the heroes all have their own special features.

Want even more?

If you haven’t grabbed it yet, you can get a free series prequel, Forged in Heat and Desire, by joining my newsletter. It’s the best place to keep up with what I’m working on and when I have sales on my older books. You can also grab one of my Monsters in the Mountains stories once you sign up so you can check out that series!

Glossary

Bonding / Relationships

Zha’Khorr Valryn – The sacred bonding ceremony (uniting flame).

Korravai – Bondmate (sacred, formal term).

Shael – Beloved - tender endearment between mates.

Kethra – the living bioluminescent glow that flares with emotion (soul-fire).

Luth’rein — an individual’s bioluminescent pattern (bloodline-influenced markings).

Veyrakk –trio of alphas who restrain the claimant until the Horns (bond anchors).

Karzhari — “keepers of bonds/blood”; priestess/order who guide omegas and prepare rites.

Veyrari – new blood/ small blood

Rethari – little thorn

Eth – soul

Korravalryn – Promised mate/intended/betrothed

Shavari’zorr – Claiming Silk – special cloak for Zha’Khorr Valryn

Sexual Terms

Vorran – cock/shaft

Zulkar – knot

Dren’kar – balls

Vralekh – tip/head

Shae’ryn – pussy/cunt

Vel’thara – inner walls

Zhenel – clit

Vorasha – womb

Zharin – slick – longing’s dew

Sehl’ar – release/orgasm

Trehvyr – heat

“Shae’ryn’ari. Vorran rhekk. Zulkar vrok.” – Your pussy is tight. My cock is going to split it. My knot destroy it.

Conflict / Honor

Morrak – Warrior (also the people collectively).

Torvakai – commander – highest rank – Wielder of authority and strength

Torashkar – General – second highest – Wielder of War Authority (Rhydek)

Torashden – Lower General – Wielder of War Orders (Rathven)

Torthyrrak – Master of Arms/Weapons (Malrik)

Torvashek – High Captain, below General, specialized solider capable of commanding units on special orders (Drazien)

Tor – leader/best/highest

Zorrash – Fierce curse, akin to damn it/Fuck

Dravh – trial/ordeal/hardship (often the mental/strategic phase of a trial).

Veyr – blood

Hk’kor – strike/blow

Veshakar- untrustworthy/suspicious person

tharvek – shield

vrok – destroy

raeshk - stalk

Varkuun – war-beast, single = varku

Veyrdrahl’tharvek – fortress above Korvashan

Veyr’vokkar — “Blood Spectacle” / “Red Arena” - Raw, violent, unapologetic. Emphasizes public spectacle and the visceral nature of the combat.

Time / Seasons

Drazh – Day

Vorrash – Night (vorresh – dark)

Shyret - minute

Shyrn – Hour/segment of a drazh (~2.4 Earth hours)

Talren – Nine-drazh week

Vhelar – Five-talren month (45 Earth days)

Korrath – Thirteen-vhelar year (585 Earth days)/ Also used in general as ‘time’

Kriska – Winter (short, mild, brief pause in the harsh climate)

Vorrada – Summer (long, blazing)

Veyr’karin – Blood Storm – Lighting turns the sand in the wind to glass

Karin – storm (Rain, rare)

Skorr – morning/dawn

Daily Life (civil/cultural)

Shyrek — resin/oil used to block scents

Drahl – stone

Khorr – flame

Nessha – nest

Kareth – Morraki standard currency – metal coin

Zha – remembers/holds

Vorresh – dark

Zhal’kai – “will not” – future negative

Dravakh – trouble/danger

Kiren – care

reth – barb/thorn

rhae – all/everything

thara – wall

rhekk – split/tear

Animals

Varkuun – Single varku – warbeast, massive, wolf/drake cross

Vhraeshk – sand-stalking monster, now extinct

Rassk — serpent/predator (root used in ship names, etc.).

Lyrek – small buzzing insect drawn to blood

Justice & Capital Punishment

Veyr’sahl Vorrada — “The Night Sands” (formal/legal term; tied naked in the night wind to die).

Dravkai’kiren – “Ordeal of No Care” - exile

Veyr’vokkar — “Blood Spectacle” / “Red Arena” - Raw, violent, unapologetic. Emphasizes public spectacle and the visceral nature of the combat.

Food & Drink

Zorhen – Food/meal

Veythra – Grain/bread staple, a common civilian food (like “daily bread”).

Kharev – Alcoholic drink, especially harsh Morraki liquor

Sahlak – Spiced stew made from preserved meats and roots.

Korhven — water vessel/jug (culturally precious).

Keth – feed/offer a meal

Sahvey – hand held, burrito style food

Home & Family

Meyr’kal – Home/dwelling (already listed).

Luthra – Child/offspring (gender-neutral).

Clothing & Appearance

Korrvek – Armor cloth uniform

Thavren – sand veil – cloth used to protect from the wind and sand on the surface

Trade & Labor

Zha’torin – Priest/scholar – one who holds sacred memory – Torzha’torin – Lead priest

Leisure & Culture

Seydrak – Story-song, oral history sung in half-chant.

Khavren – Festival of flame, celebrating Vorrada (summer).

Shaevrin – The Eternal Wind – Worshiped as the force/cause behind everything

Everyday Objects

Vey’korr – Blade, but also a word for any essential tool.

Korhven – Water vessel/jug

Vekhar – box/container

“Karzhak veshakar dravakh’hesh.”

Bonding humans trouble-causes.