"They are cowards and easy to defeat," Kaedren said, rolling his four shoulders with casual pride.
"How did they find us?" Vaelix asked.
"They tracked us from the habitat. They had cloaking technology, which is why we never saw them," Torvyn said.
"That technology is very advanced. Not many ships have it," Vaelix said.
"It's also expensive," Lyrin added.
"You are very important to somebody, Kira," Torvyn said, his gaze holding mine.
"Director Voss," I said, the name bitter on my tongue. "I was the lead researcher on humanity's first successful xenobiological integration project. Do you know what that's worth to the Corporation? What I'm worth?" I looked at the dead pirates. "Apparently, enough to buy cloaking tech and throwaway lives. Voss isn't trying to save his job—he needs me for Phase Two. Whatever that is, I'm the only one who knows how to make it work."
Lyrin cleared his throat, his voice tight. "Captain." He held up a small scanner, its display pulsing with light I couldn't interpret. "The tether. It's forming."
Torvyn took the scanner, his eyes widening. The other Knights crowded close, and something passed between them—a look I couldn't name but felt in my chest, warm and pulling, like invisible threads drawing tight.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
Torvyn's smile was slow, almost reverent. "It means you're bonding to us. All of us."
I looked at these four men—these warriors who had just fought for me, bled for me. Seven days of careful distance, of polite interactions and unspoken tension, and my body had apparently been making decisions without consulting my brain. The tether. A bond I didn't understand but could suddenly feel, thrumming beneath my skin like a second heartbeat.
"I don't... I don't understand," I whispered.
"You will," Vaelix said softly, and the promise in his voice made my knees weak.
I looked at these four men that I had just met. They had risked everything for me: their lives, their ship, their mission. All I had done was bring destruction and misery to them. Tears welled in my eyes.
"I am so sorry this happened. It's all my fault."
They all looked at me.
"No," Torvyn said, his voice firm. "This is the Corporation's fault. They are trying to take you prisoner. You are a free person who can make your own choices. They do not control you, even if they think they need you."
I nodded, but couldn't stop crying. All I could think about was the sick and injured who might have been hurt even more because of the pirates. Because of me. Lyrin stepped forward first and wrapped his arms around me, his touch gentle, comforting. Then Kaedren moved in, his four arms creating a fortress around us both. Then Vaelix, pressing against my side, one hand sliding to the small of my back. And finally, Torvyn, completing the circle, his presence solid and unmovable at my back.
It was warm. There was no pity, only acceptance.
I had never felt pure love in my life, but I hoped this was what it felt like. I felt my body relax, and as if a signal had been given, they all pulled me closer. There was no competition, no fighting for attention—just an embrace.
But it wasn't just comfort anymore.
Warmth bloomed in my chest—not the clinical heat of adrenaline, but something deeper. It spread downward, settled low in my belly, sparked in places that had been cold for longer than I wanted to admit. I was pressed between them, surrounded by solid muscle and body heat, and I could smell each of them distinctly: Lyrin's clean, herbal scent; Kaedren's leather and musk; Vaelix's sharp, electric ozone; Torvyn's warm spice.
I should have pulled away. Should have maintained distance, professionalism, autonomy.
Instead, I sank deeper into them.
Kaedren's lower arms tightened around my waist, and I felt his breath against my hair. Lyrin's hand moved to the nape of my neck, his fingers threading through my hair with devastating gentleness. Vaelix'shand on my back slid lower, resting just above the curve of my hip, his thumb tracing small circles that sent electricity up my spine. And Torvyn—Torvyn's chest was pressed against my back, and I could feel every breath he took, feel the controlled strength in him.
"Kira," Lyrin murmured against my temple, and the way he said my name made my breath catch.
I tilted my head back slightly and found myself looking up at Kaedren. His four eyes were dark with something that definitely wasn't just concern. One of his hands came up to cup my face, his palm rough and warm, his thumb brushing across my cheekbone.
"You are safe with us," he rumbled, and the possessiveness in his voice shouldn't have sent a thrill through me, but it did.
"Always," Vaelix added, his lips close to my ear, and I shivered.
