"I'm not fragile." I scowled at her caution, even as I traced one finger along the lines of her mating marks, as if to assure myself they were real.
"You almost died,” she said, her voice breaking. She placed her hand on my chest, right over my heart. Her palm was warm against my skin, her touch gentle. "I almost lost you."
Something in my chest cracked at those words. I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her closer, more relieved than I wanted to admit that she hadn't left me. I felt weak for even worrying about it. A Raas of the Vandar shouldn’t care, but I did care. I cared desperately.
"Tell me," I said quietly. "What happened after I fell?"
Jasmine leaned into me carefully, her head resting against my shoulder. "They rushed you to the healer. You'd lost so much blood. The wound was—" Her voice wobbled, and she took a breath to steady herself. "It was bad, Wrexxon. Really bad. They had to do surgery. Cut away the damaged tissue and repair organs inside. You were unconscious for two days after that. Two days where we didn't know if you'd wake up or if?—"
She put a hand over her mouth, unable to finish the sentence.
I tightened my arm around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm here. I'm alive."
"I was so scared," she whispered. "I know it's crazy because this was basically an arranged marriage that I fought against every step of the way, but almost losing you made me realize—" She pulled back slightly to look at me, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "I love you, Wrexxon. I really, truly love you.”
My breath caught. Whatever I'd expected her to say, it wasn't that. Even if the mating marks told me that she was mine, I hadn’t expected the words.
"And it's not just because you're amazing in bed," she added quickly, a watery laugh escaping. "Although that's definitely a factor."
I laughed and immediately flinched as pain lanced through my side.
"Sorry!" Jasmine gave me an anguished, apologetic look. "I shouldn't have made you laugh. You need to rest and?—"
"I've never been happier," I interrupted, catching her hand and bringing it to my lips, "than being in pain laughing with you."
Her expression softened and melted into something so tender it made my chest ache worse than any wound.
"I love you too," I told her, needing her to hear it. Needing her to know that what she felt wasn't one-sided or crazy or too fast. "Not just because you're beautiful, though you are, and not just because you make me wild with desire, though you do that too. I love you because you're fierce and stubborn and brave enough to challenge me when I'm wrong. You make me want to be better than I am, and you've given me something to fight for beyond revenge."
She kissed me then, soft and gentle, but with no less passion.
When she pulled back, I asked the question that had been weighing on me since I woke. "Your sister. Is she truly okay?"
Jasmine smiled, the expression lighting up her entire face. “Brielle? She’s fine. She always said books were her salvation, and I guess she was right. Both my sisters are fine and gratefulto be on the warbird.” She rolled her eyes in a way that suggested affectionate exasperation. "Kaya has developed a crush on approximately every single raider on this ship, even though she isn’t the unrepentant flirt she used to be. Still, your warriors don't know what to do with her."
I felt my lips twitch. “Because I am sure mymajakhas declared them off-limits to the raiders.”
“Which means they’re safe from her,” Jasmine said. “For now.”
I knew there was more I needed to know and a crucial debriefing with my officers. I had questions about the battle and about the status of the rebels on Lexxona.
But for now, I was content to lie in bed with my Raisa, even though I was still too weak to do all the things I wanted to do to her. Even though my body was protesting every movement, being alive and with her was worth every bit of pain.
"Stay with me," I murmured, pulling her closer and pressing a hand to her mating marks. "Just for a while."
"Always," she promised, settling against me carefully. "I'm not going anywhere."
Chapter 43
Wrexxon
Istepped onto the command deck for the first time in many days, and the reaction was immediate.
Raiders stopped mid-task, their heads swiveling toward me in unison. For a moment, there was just the ambient hum of systems and the shocked stares of my crew. Then mymajaksnapped his heels in salute and everyone followed suit.
Venik crossed the deck toward me, and I thought for a moment he might actually embrace me. "Welcome back, Raas. The command deck hasn't been the same without you."
“You didn't enjoy the mantle of leadership?" I asked, moving to my usual position overlooking everything.
