Chapter 19 #2
His tail curled around her thigh, holding her to him, while his hands supported her back.
When her release hit, she shuddered and cried out his name, and the sound pushed him over the edge with her.
He poured himself into her as his knot expanded, locking them together, he finally understood what it meant to be truly mated.
They collapsed together onto the narrow bed, still joined, their breathing gradually slowing in sync. Her fingers traced patterns on his back, and his tail gently stroked her skin.
Eventually, she spoke, her voice sleepy and content.
“That was…” She trailed off, apparently at a loss for words.
“Satisfactory?” he offered, unable to keep the smug note from his voice.
She laughed and swatted his shoulder. “Don’t fish for compliments. It doesn’t suit you.”
“I’m not fishing. I’m genuinely asking.” He shifted slightly, adjusting their position so he could see her face. “I’ve never…”
“Becsul.” She pressed a finger to his lips again, silencing him. “It was incredible. You were incredible. I’m fairly certain I saw stars at one point, and I’m pretty sure that’s a good sign.”
Relief flooded through him, followed quickly by a fresh wave of desire. Already his body was responding to her proximity, wanting more, wanting everything.
“We have time,” she murmured, clearly feeling his response. “Sarah won’t mind.”
“Are you sure? You must be tired—”
“I’m a new mother. I’ve been tired for three months straight.” She pushed herself up on one elbow, looking down at him with a wicked smile. “This is a different kind of tired. A good kind.”
He reached for her, and she came willingly.
The second time was slower, more exploratory.
He learned the sounds she made when he touched her in certain ways—the sharp inhale when his tail traced up her inner thigh, the throaty moan when he kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear.
She learned him too, finding the places where his ridges gave way to softer skin, where a light touch could make him shudder with pleasure.
Afterward, she lay sprawled across him, her breathing slowly returning to normal.
“I should probably check on Robbie,” she said, but made no move to leave.
“Sarah will let you know if he needs you.” His arms tightened around her. “Stay. Just for a little longer.”
She relaxed against him, and he felt the moment when her body went boneless, surrendering to exhaustion and satisfaction.
“I never thought this would happen,” she murmured. “Any of it. Being taken. Being held. Being… rescued by someone like you.”
“Someone like me?”
“Honorable. Kind. Devoted.” She pressed a kiss to his chest, over his heart. “Sexy as hell.”
He felt his skin flush with warmth. “I didn’t rescue you. We rescued each other.”
“Mmm. That’s a nice way to put it.” She was quiet for a moment. “What happens now? After we get off the planet?”
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Go to the Patrol and then find somewhere to start fresh.”
“And the evidence? Exposing Naran?”
“That will take time. Building a case, finding allies, gathering proof.” He stroked her hair, marveling at its softness. “But we’ll do it. Together.”
“Together.” She smiled against his skin. “I like the sound of that.”
They lay in comfortable silence for a while, listening to the distant sounds of the abandoned city—wind through empty streets, the occasional creak of settling stone. It was peaceful in a way that felt almost surreal after the chaos of the past weeks.
“Becsul?”
“Yes?”
“When we’re safe…” She hesitated. “Would you want to try? For a baby, I mean. Our baby.”
His heart skipped a beat, then started racing.
“But the experiments—”
“That was different. That was them using me, treating me like a breeding animal.” Her voice was fierce. “But if we chose it together because we wanted to create a family…”
“Yes.” The word came out rough, almost desperate. “Yes, Melissa. I want that. I want everything with you.”
She lifted her head, and he saw tears glittering in her dark eyes—not sadness, but joy.
“Good,” she whispered. “Because I want it too.”
He kissed her then, pouring everything he couldn’t say into the press of his lips against hers. All the years of loneliness. All the grief for his lost people. All the desperate hope that maybe, somehow, there was a future worth fighting for.
And she kissed him back, giving him everything in return.
A soft knock at the door broke them apart.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Wei-Lin said dryly. “But our four hours are almost up. Time to move.”
Melissa groaned, burying her face in his chest. “Five more minutes.”
“We don’t have five minutes.” But he was smiling, a real smile that felt foreign on his face after so many years of careful control. “Come. Let’s go get Robbie and prepare for the next step.”
They dressed quickly, stealing glances at each other, sharing small smiles that felt like secrets. When Melissa opened the door, Wei-Lin was waiting with an expression caught somewhere between amusement and impatience.
“I’m not going to ask,” she said. “Because I really don’t want to know. But you might want to fix your hair before Sarah sees you.”
Melissa’s hand flew to her head, and she grimaced at the tangled mess. “Right. Good point.”
In the main room, Sarah had Robbie cradled against her shoulder, patting his back gently. Katie sat beside her, looking more alert than she had since they’d escaped—still quiet, still watchful, but no longer vacant.
“He woke up about twenty minutes ago,” Sarah said, handing the baby to Melissa. “I fed him from the supplies you showed me. He seemed happy enough.”
“Thank you.” Melissa pressed a kiss to Robbie’s forehead, and the baby cooed, his dark eyes focusing on her face. “For everything.”
Sarah’s smile was knowing. “We women have to look out for each other. Especially now.”
Becsul gathered their meager supplies, his mind already turning to the challenges ahead. The route to the southern docks. The checkpoints they’d need to avoid. The cargo hold where they’d spend the next several days hidden among shipping containers.
But underneath the tactical considerations, a warmth burned in his chest that refused to be extinguished.
Mate, he thought, watching Melissa soothe Robbie with practiced hands. My mate. My family.
He’d lost everything once—his parents, his siblings, his childhood home to the Red Death. He’d rebuilt himself around duty and discipline, around service to a cause that had slowly revealed itself as hollow.
Now he had something new. Something worth protecting. Something worth fighting for.
And he would burn the entire Council to the ground before he let anyone take it from him.