“Marz! Rowan! Can you hear me?” The comm-link crackled, the background noise a garbled roar of wind and thunder. “Come in, damn it!”
Rowan’s eyes widened, and I saw relief flash across her face before I responded. “We’re here. We’re in a cave near the last drop-off point. The storm’s getting worse. Can you?—”
“I’m bringing the shuttle around,” Vance interrupted, his tone clipped with tension. “You need to get out of that cave and be ready to jump onboard. It’s going to be tight.”
Tightwas an understatement. The fury outside had intensified. The storm threw rock and debris around like missiles. The sky was alive with a frenzy of lightning bolts that scorched the air with every strike.
“Come on.” I reached for Rowan’s hand as we hurried toward the cave entrance. “Be ready to run.”
The howl of the storm increased in volume as we neared the mouth, the wind gusts so strong they nearly knocked us back.
Outside the cave was total chaos. The landscape was barely visible through the swirling red dust and flashes of electric blue, white and violet streaking across the sky.
“There!” Rowan shouted, pointing upward as the shuttle came into view. It descended at an angle, tilting and bucking against the wind. I could see the flare of the thrusters as Vance fought to steady the craft, the nose pitching sharply to one side as a particularly vicious gust slammed into the hull.
“I’m bringing her in as close as I can. Be ready to jump.” His tone was all business, but I could hear the raw edge of fear underneath. Not fear for either of us. For her.
The shuttle dipped closer, the thrusters flaring bright as Vance wrestled it into position. The wind hammered against us, nearly lifted us off our feet. I wrapped my arms around her and braced myself. When the shuttle was just close enough, I pulled Rowan forward. “Now!” I shouted, keeping my arm around her waist as we sprinted toward the shuttle.
We leaped together, the ground vanishing beneath us as the wind tore at our limbs. The open air seemed to swallow us whole, but then the ramp of the shuttle was right there, just within reach. I hit the edge hard, pulling Rowan up with me as my boots scraped for purchase against the hatch. I felt her slip. My heart seized in my chest. I tightened my grip, used all my strength to haul her up the rest of the way.
The moment we were inside, the shuttle jerked sharply upward. The engines roared as Vance pushed the thrusters to full power. The ramp closed behind us, sealing out the chaos of the storm as we were thrown against the interior bulkhead from the force of the ascent. I kept my arms around Rowan, shielding her from the worst of the impact. The floor vibrated beneath us, and I could feel the tension in the metal as the shuttle climbed, fighting the storm’s relentless grip.
“Strap in!” Vance’s voice came over comms, strained with the effort of keeping the shuttle steady. “This isn’t over yet.”
I helped Rowan to one of the seats. We barely managed to secure the harnesses before the shuttle lurched again, tilting nearly sideways as Vance fought the violent winds. The sensation of weightlessness swept through my stomach as we dropped, and the storm seemed to batter us from all directions, like an animal intent on tearing the shuttle apart.
Vance's voice echoed through our helmets, a mix of fury and raw determination. “Hang on. We’re almost there.”
The engines screamed, vibrating with an intensity that I could feel in my teeth. I braced myself, gripping the seat’s armrests, the sheer force of the acceleration pressing me back. I glanced at Rowan, her helmeted head tilted slightly, the strain to keep her head straight visible even through the armor as she fought to stay steady. Our eyes met, and for a split second, everything outside ceased to exist—there was only the space between us, filled with the confessions we’d made in the darkness of that cave.
I’d told her the truth. Told her everything. And she loved me anyway.
Be a fucking shame to die now.
The shuttle shuddered again, a metallic groan filled the cabin as Vance executed a tight roll to avoid a surge of plasma discharge. The ship vibrated as if we’d been struck by a gianthammer. The comms crackled with static as Vance cursed under his breath. He pushed the shuttle harder, fighting gravity and the storm, the craft groaning in protest as he flew us back to base.
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, the violent turbulence eased. The red haze disappeared. The unnatural buzz of energy that had filled the air dissipated as Vance took us deeper inside Base 3’s shuttle bay.
Rowan slumped back in her seat, letting out a shuddering breath. Relief washed over me, a heavy weight lifting from my chest.
As the shuttle leveled out and settled on the ground, the tension coming from Vance didn’t dissipate. If anything, it thickened. I could hear Vance moving in the cockpit, the faint sounds of switches being flipped and controls being adjusted. Barely restrained rage simmered beneath his calm exterior, hitting both Rowan and I through the mating collars.
When he finally spoke again, his voice came through the comm like a blade’s edge, hard and cutting. “Is Rowan hurt?”
There was weight behind the question, something more than just concern. I felt it settle like a stone in my gut.
“Our mate is uninjured.” I held Rowan’s gaze but spoke to my second. “Thanks to you.”
There was a pause, a tense silence that spoke volumes. Rowan and I had reached an understanding, but I was not the only one keeping secrets. Vance battled for control of his mind, his emotions, his sense of self. Now that I wasn’t fighting my own demons, I could feel the Hive through our connection, their presence a constant hum in the background of his thoughts. When I looked at Rowan’s data, I assumed the massive structure buried beneath the planet’s surface was not of Hive origin. What if I was wrong? “Vance?”
“It’s the Hive. I heard them.” Vance’s words held an unspoken challenge. I knew what was coming; the storm had only been the first battle. The real confrontation was ahead. Could I trust Vance to walk away from our mate if he posed a danger?
Rowan stood and glared at me through her helmet’s clear visor. “Whatever bullshit you too are thinking right now, you better start talking. I can feel you, remember?”
Vance, the fucker, chuckled at our mate’s temper. She was small, but feisty. Perhaps I would order Vance to fuck her so she could wrap those sassy lips around my cock.
Now that we were safe, my cock roared to life, demanded I claim her now, fully, without holding myself back. She knew me. Loved me. I’d never wanted to lose myself in pleasure more. But she was correct. Vance was her second. She deserved to know the truth about him, speak with Vance, understand the danger and make her own decision. I could order him to leave. I could report him to Doctor Surnen and have him removed from our lives. I could kill him myself. I could do many things that would protect our mate but cause her pain. “We’ll talk once we return to our quarters.”
