Chapter 10
ZAR’RYN’S EYES softened, aflicker of vulnerability breaking through the storm. He kissed her again, slower this time, as though savoring every moment. Their bond pulsed in rhythm with their hearts, weaving them together in a way that felt both terrifying and beautiful.
Time seemed to blur as they gave in to the pull of the bond, their connection deepening with every touch, every whispered word. The outside world faded away, leaving only the two of them, bound together by something far greater than themselves.
The tension in the air between them was electric, pulling them together like the inevitable collision of two stars. Zar’Ryn’s breath came in uneven, shallow inhalations as he gazed down at Elara, her hair fanned across the bed like ebony rivers catching the warm glow of the room’s lighting. Her eyes, wide and shimmering with both vulnerability and desire, held his with an intensity that rooted him in place. They were lovely eyes, ahazel color that blended rays of gold and green and brown, that seemed to change with her emotions. The bond between them pulsed, growing stronger with every second, every unspokenword.
Her hands framed his face, her fingers trembling slightly as they caressed his jawline. Her touch, so delicate and certain, was enough to unravel the tight control he held over himself. Alow growl rumbled in his chest as he leaned down, his lips brushing hers with a restrained hunger that threatened to snap free. The kiss deepened, raw and demanding, his hands gripping her as though she might disappear if he letgo.
The restraint that had defined his existence for centuries crumbled as her hands slid into his hair, tugging him closer. Zar’Ryn wasn’t used to yielding, wasn’t accustomed to allowing himself to feel this much, but with her, the bond’s pull was unstoppable.
And he didn’t want tostop.
He broke the kiss just long enough to rasp, “Tell me now if you want me to let you go. Because once I start…” His words trailed off, the warning clear in his tone, sharp and edged with rawneed.
“I don’t want you to stop,” Elara whispered, her voice trembling but resolute. Her hands slid down his shoulders, tracing the muscles beneath his skin, and it was all the answer he needed.
With a sharp exhale, Zar’Ryn claimed her lips again, this time with a fierceness that left no room for hesitation. His hands roamed her body, exploring every curve, every soft plane of skin, as he peeled away the barriers of clothing between them. His movements were deliberate, precise, but there was an urgency to him that betrayed how tightly wound hewas.
Her responses only drove him further. Every gasp, every soft sound she made under his touch, ignited something deeper, something primal. He lifted her easily, positioning her beneath him as his lips trailed from her jaw to the curve of her neck. Her scent—uniquely hers—wrapped around him, grounding him even as his control frayed at the edges.
“You are mine,” he murmured against her skin, the words slipping free before he could stopthem.
They weren’t a declaration, but a truth spoken aloud, something he couldn’t deny no matter how hard he tried. The code he lived by vanished when he held her in his arms. Their bond flared in response, flooding his senses with her emotions—desire, trust, and an answering need that matched hisown.
Elara arched beneath him, her hands sliding over his back, her nails grazing his skin just enough to make him shudder. Her touch grew bolder now, her movements driven by the same urgency that coursed through him. He didn’t miss the way she responded to him, the way her body pressed against his, as though she couldn’t get close enough.
When he finally took her, it was with a fierce intensity that left no room for hesitation. The unique ridges and mounds along his length heightened the connection between them, eliciting gasps and cries that fueled his every movement.
When his knot began to swell, locking them together in the most primal way, he felt the bond pulse so brightly it was as though the universe had momentarily narrowed to just the two of them. Their bodies and souls became entwined in perfect synchrony, their bodies moving together in perfect harmony, the bond between them amplifying every sensation, every emotion. Zar’Ryn gritted his teeth, his focus narrowing to the feel of her beneath him, the way she met him with equal fervor.
He didn’t let himself think beyond the moment. There was only her, only the connection between them that burned hotter with every touch, every movement. He braced himself on his forearms, his gaze locked on hers as he moved, as though daring her to look away. She didn’t. Her eyes stayed on his, wide and golden with need, and he felt himself unraveling under hergaze.
The room became filled with the sound of their labored breaths, the connection between them beating in the background like a frantic pulse. Zar’Ryn’s grip on her tightened, his movements becoming more erratic, more uncontrolled, as though he could brand himself into her memory with every savage stroke.
When the bond surged again, the nexus between them flaring with a brilliant intensity, it was almost too much. Zar’Ryn buried his face against her neck, his breath harsh as the link flowed between them, amplifying every sensation until it was almost unbearable.
The mounds along his length pulsed against her, the knot swelling and locking them together in an ancient, ancient rhythm that seemed to echo in the very marrow of his being. Every beat of the bond carried her gasps and moans directly to him, resonating in his core and fueling a need so intense it threatened to consume him entirely.
Yet, even in the chaos of their connection, he maintained control, grounding himself in the feel of her skin, her scent, and the way her body responded to him like they were two halves of a perfectly matched whole. She clung to him, her nails digging into his shoulders as they rode the wave together, the bond binding them in ways he hadn’t thought possible.
Even afterward, he couldn’t move right away. He stayed where he was, his body still braced over hers, his breathing heavy as he tried to gather his scattered thoughts. The union had quieted now, its rhythm steady and calm, but he could still feel her emotions pressing against his own, areminder that they were connected in ways he couldn’t yet define.
Zar’Ryn pulled back enough to meet her gaze, his own expression guarded. He didn’t say anything, didn’t trust himself to speak. Instead, he brushed a thumb along her cheek, his touch lingering for a moment longer than necessary before he rolled to his side, pulling her with him. Whatever had just happened between them, he couldn’t deny its significance. But for now, he let the silence speak for him, content to hold her as they both caught their breath.
Somehow, deep down, he knew whatever was happening between them, it wasn’t just the bracelets.
ZAR’RYN SAT rigid at the table, his broad shoulders hunched slightly as he stared down at the plate before him. The research station’s small galley was devoid of warmth, its sterile metal surfaces reflecting the cool, bright lights overhead.
The food had been carefully prepared—nutrient-dense, balanced, entirely adequate—but it might as well have been ash on his tongue. Beside him, Elara settled into her seat, her movements graceful yet hesitant, as if she feared disturbing the fragile calm that had descended after their earlier… connection.
Connection. The word barely scratched the surface of what had passed betweenthem.
He had faced a thousand enemies, fought and bled for the galaxies, yet nothing had prepared him for the raw intimacy of the bond they shared. Even now, seated in the relative quiet of the station, he could feel it throbbing faintly in the background of his mind—asteady pulse that tied him to her, an invisible thread that neither of them could escape.
Tor’Vek placed a bowl in front of Elara with the careful precision of a scientist conducting an experiment. The former medic’s dark bronze face betrayed nothing, his expression coolly detached as he settled into the seat across from them. Zar’Ryn resisted the urge to bristle at the other warrior’s presence.
Tor’Vek’s demeanor remained unflinching, as always, but today it felt particularly grating, like sand under armor. “You both should eat,” Third said evenly, his gaze sweeping over them with clinical interest. “You will need your strength for what is to come.”
Elara picked up her fork, though she didn’t move to use it immediately. “You say that like you know something we don’t,” she said, her tone lighter than her expression. Her hazel eyes flicked to Zar’Ryn briefly, aquestion lingering there before she returned her attention to Third.
“I know many things you do not,” Tor’Vek replied, completely unaffected by her tone. “That is, after all, why you are here.”
Zar’Ryn forced himself to take a bite of the food, the taste registering as barely more than sustenance. Tor’Vek’s words grated on him, though he knew better than to let it show. He had always respected the scientist’s intellect, his relentless pursuit of knowledge. But his tendency to treat everything—including people—as data points to be analyzed set Zar’Ryn’s teeth on edge. And when it came to Elara…
He took a breath, steadying himself. The bond writhed in response to his irritation, and he quickly clamped down on it. He couldn’t afford to let her feel his unease, not when she was still adjusting to their connection. Their overwhelming connection.
Tor’Vek steepled his fingers, his black eyes sharp as they fixed on Zar’Ryn. “The bond is deepening,” he observed, his tone devoid of judgment. “Faster than I would have expected.”
Zar’Ryn set his fork down with deliberate care, his gaze hard as he met that of his brother’s. “And what does that mean, exactly?”
“It means you should eat,” Tor’Vek said again, his lips curving faintly in what might have been amusement. “You are going to need fuel for what is ahead.”
Elara finally took a bite of her meal, chewing thoughtfully before setting her fork down. “You keep saying that,” she said, her voice firmer now. “But you’re not telling us anything. What’s ahead? What do you know about the bracelets? About this… bond?”
Zar’Ryn’s chest tightened at the thread of vulnerability in her words, though her expression betrayed none of it. Her spine remained straight, her chin lifted in defiance, but he could feel the questions swirling within her, the unease she tried so hard to mask. It was a feeling he knew all toowell.
Tor’Vek leaned back in his chair, his gaze shifting between them. “What I know,” he said slowly, “is that the bond between you is unlike anything I have encountered before. The bracelets were designed to enhance. To amplify. But this… this is something different.”
Zar’Ryn’s hands curled into fists beneath the table. “Different how?”
Tor’Vek’s gaze lingered on Elara, and Zar’Ryn had to bite back the growl that rose in his throat. The medic’s scrutiny wasn’t lecherous, but it still felt invasive, as if Third were trying to dissect her with hiseyes.
“Different in that it does not conform to the parameters set by the bracelets’ creators,” Tor’Vek said at last. “The intensity of the bond between you should not exist. It should not be possible for such a deep, all-encompassing connection. And yet, here you are.”
Elara frowned, her hand brushing absently against the bracelet on her wrist. Zar’Ryn felt the faint ripple of her frustration through the bond, echoing against his own. “If it’s not supposed to exist, then why does it?” she asked. “What’s causing it?”
Tor’Vek lifted an inverted eyebrow. “That is the question, is it not?” He leaned forward, his intense gaze locking onto hers. “Tell me, Elara. When the bond flares, what do you feel?”
Zar’Ryn stiffened, his jaw tightening. “She does not owe you answers,” he said coldly.
Tor’Vek’s gaze shifted to him, unflinching. “If you want an explanation to explain all this, Zar’Ryn, you will need to provide some answers in return.”
Elara raised a hand before Zar’Ryn could reply, her expression calm but firm. “It’s fine,” she said quietly. She turned back to Tor’Vek, tension radiating through her. “When it flares, Ifeel… everything. It’s like I’m not just feeling my emotions anymore. I’m also feeling his.”
“And physically?” Tor’Vek pressed.
Elara hesitated, her gaze flicking to Zar’Ryn. He gave her a slight nod, his chest tightening at the thought of her sharing such personal details. But he knew it was necessary. They needed answers, even if it meant allowing Tor’Vek to pick apart the most vulnerable parts of their connection.
“It’s… overwhelming,” Elara admitted. “Like a flood, but it’s not just inside my head. It’s in my body, too. Ifeel stronger, faster. Like I’m moving before I even realize what I’m doing. Like the need that fills me has to be quenched right away or I won’t survive it.”
Tor’Vek nodded, his expression thoughtful. “And you, Zar’Ryn? Do you feel the same?”
He hesitated, his instincts urging him to hold back, to protect this part of himself. But Elara’s steady gaze anchored him, and he forced himself to speak. “It is similar,” he said, his voice low. “But it is more than that. When the bond flares, it is like she is… inside me. Like we are not two separate beings anymore.”
Tor’Vek’s expression remained unreadable, but Zar’Ryn didn’t miss the faint flicker of something—concern, or perhaps unease—in the other warrior’seyes.
“This is not just a connection,” the scientist said finally. His voice, though calm, carried a weight that settled like a storm cloud over the table. “It is a fusion.”
The word hit Zar’Ryn like a blow, the implications far worse than he wanted to acknowledge. Fusion wasn’t just connection—it was irrevocable. Permanent. Abinding of two beings at the deepest, most unbreakable level.
He glanced at Elara, who sat silent and still, her fingers curling tightly around the edge of the table. She didn’t look at him, but the bond spoke louder than words. Fear. Uncertainty. Afaint undercurrent of hope. It was enough to tighten something in his chest.
Tor’Vek leaned back in his chair, his dark gaze fixing on Zar’Ryn. “You know what this means,” he said quietly. It wasn’t a question.
“No,” Zar’Ryn said, his voice sharper than he intended. “I do not.”
Tor’Vek’s eyes narrowed slightly. “It means that if the bond fails—or is severed by one of you—it will not just harm the one.” He paused, his gaze flicking briefly to Elara. “It will destroy you both.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Zar’Ryn’s pulse pounded in his ears, his body taut with a tension he couldn’t release. Across the table, Elara finally looked at him, her darkened eyes searchinghis.
Through the bond, he felt the question before she even spoke it. What does this mean forus?
Zar’Ryn forced himself to hold her gaze, even as his thoughts spiraled into chaos. There was no answer he could give her. No promise that wouldn’t feel like a lie. All he knew was that the woman in front of him was now as much a part of him as the blood in his veins—and the very thing binding them together might also tear them apart.
Tor’Vek stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. “I will leave you to consider that,” he said, his tone disturbingly clinical. “I have a heat flash coming on.” He turned and left the galley, his steps echoing down the sterile corridor.
The quiet that followed felt suffocating. Zar’Ryn didn’t move, his fists clenching and unclenching beneath the table. The bond hummed faintly, areminder of the woman sitting so close yet feeling impossibly faraway.
“It won’t destroy us,” Elara said suddenly, her voice steady despite the tremor in the bond. “I won’t let it.”
Her defiance cut through his storm of thoughts, grounding him in a way he didn’t expect. He met her gaze, the weight of her words settling heavily between them. He wanted to believe her— needed to believe her—but the echoes of Tor’Vek’s warning lingered, unshakable.
And in the silence, asingle thought surfaced, cold and unrelenting: He was a warrior, the most skilled warrior of his unit, of all the Intergalactic Warriors, and the one at the most risk. What if something happened to him? What if his life ended. Would hers end,too?
There was no way to save her?