“This plan is too dangerous,” Charick muttered, nuzzling the hair at the curve of my neck. “We should both get on my skiff and leave. Let the Alliance handle Nansar.”
I pulled back to look at my mate. Worry creased his features like a weight, making my heart heavy. But I remained undeterred.
“And give Nansar a chance to weasel out of things. No way.”
Charick cupped my face between his palms, his golden eyes dark and intense. “You’re asking me to leave. To leave you alone on this planet.”
“I don’t like the idea of being separated either, but Nansar believes I’m the Zarpazian. He won’t mess with me.” I gave him my best cocky smile. “Besides, I’ll have Adtovar and ten other gladiators to protect me.”
Charick groaned, pulling me tight against him. “It goes against everything I am to leave your protection to another.”
I ran my fingertips over his chest, loving the way his muscles twitched under my touch. “We have to stop him, Charick. Nansar might not have been the one to abduct me, but ultimately, he’s behind my abduction, not to mention how many others. You know this.”
“Then I should be giving him my undying gratitude,” my mate snorted, pressing his lips to my forehead.
“Funny.” I rolled my eyes, poking his pec with a fingertip.
Charick sighed, and I thought I felt the slightest tremble in the hands that held me. “You are my mate. The reason my heart beats. Nothing feels right when you are not at my side.”
“After we get Nansar taken care of, I’ll be at your side so much you’ll get sick of me,” I promised, rather surprised by how happy uttering the words made me.
“You mean that?” He stiffened slightly and pushed me away just enough so he could gaze into my eyes. “You will reside on theBardagawith me.”
“TheBardaga, the moon, a space station.” My smile grew so big it made my cheeks ache. “Just not here, okay? The climate makes my hair frizz.”
I felt his fingertips stroke through the strands lying on the back of my neck. “Your hair is beautiful, as is every inch of you.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.” Linking my arms around his neck, I pulled his lips to mine.
I could kiss him forever.
Charick’s mouth was soft and warm against mine, like velvet and fire all at once. His fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer as our bodies pressed against each other. As always with him, everything else fell away, leaving just Charick. The warmth of his body, the softness of his lips pressed against mine, the way the pelt on his skin felt like the softest stubble as it grazed my face. His lips tasted of spice and honey and mint, a combination that was both savory and sweet. The faint residue of our lovemaking heightened his uniquely masculine scent.
It was a moment suspended in time, a kiss that tasted like an eternity and felt like warmth and safety and promise.
A sound from outside broke us apart, and Charick tensed for a moment until his super ears discerned that whatever the bang, it proved no danger. He glanced down at me, his eyes locked onto mine with such a tender expression. His lips parted, and a small smile played over his features.
I lifted my hand to run my fingertips over his face. The glow of the moon coming through the small window illuminated his features, highlighting his rugged, handsomeness. The pelt on his face was velvety against my fingertips, the planes of his face strong and defined but soft under my touch.
What if I had lost him? What if the Zarpazian had killed him like I’d thought? My heart clenched with dread, imagining a universe without him in it. In those few brief moments of terror, when I thought the Zarpazian had taken his life, my entire world shattered. Now, as I gently placed my hand in the center of his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart that echoed my own, everything seemed so clear… almost fated. The realization that washed over me in Nansar’s chambers came back even stronger.
Love.
A pure and genuine love for this man, who had stolen my heart with his courage and kindness.
I loved him. Truly. And I would not let him leave my side without knowing how I felt.
“You know, I’m still not sold on all this fated mate shit,” I claimed, even as I felt my heartbeat kick up in tempo, echoing his.
“You’re not?” Charick seemed more amused than upset by my claim.
“No.” I let my hands slide up his chest to rest on his broad shoulders. “But I do know one thing.”
“What is that, my heart?”
My heart.
Mine.
