As we exited into the fray, the Yulineon's assault on the dome's shielding was an unyielding barrage, testing its resilience with every strike. Murrox began searching every hut and outbuilding he came to, so Hexxus and I followed suit, hoping to find the missing Willow. I suspected, as did we all, the hot headed femalehad hunkered down somewhere at the start of the attack. Even so, if I were in Murrox’s boots and knew not the whereabouts of my female during this tremulous time, I would want help in my search.
As Hexxus and I emerged from the tanner's hut, we spotted Murrox standing off in the distance. His head was thrown back in relief, and the relentless firing had come to an abrupt halt. The sky was void of any craft, and the city stood eerily still. The hangar door swung open, and out came Zaku and Wynnter leading the group of techs outside, all eyes cast to the skies. The dome had outlasted the enemy attack.
The female in question pushed her way through the crush of males. Her blazing glare locked on Murrox, and I sagged in relief knowing Willow was safe.
Now that the threat had passed, I felt my pulse slow and my hearts flutter back to their rightful place in my chest. The Yulineons had failed, and the danger to our females was over, for now. As the adrenalyne drained from my body, I took a moment to appreciate the gravity of what had just occurred.
With the weight of my world lifted off my shoulders, I could safely retrieve my heart from where I left her.
Chapter Eleven
ROWAN
The silence under the palace was like a living thing, heavy and pressing against my skin. I huddled closer to Gia, her presence a small comfort in the vast, shadowed space we had been ushered into for safety. The solaris rocks studded in the walls emitted a soft glow, their pale blue light casting elongated shadows across the cold dirt and stone tunnel where we hunkered.
“Rowan,” Gia whispered, her voice laced with fear, “do you think it’s over?”
I hugged her harder, my own uncertainty a knot in my stomach despite the tiny lick of excitement I knew belonged to Z. “Maybe,” I murmured, peering around at the mated females shifting restlessly, pressing their palms over the glowing designs that matched their mates’.
We were a tapestry of worry, each of us lost in our own worries and fears of an enemy we barely understood.
Then, as if he had stepped straight from my most desperate hopes, Zikkar appeared at the entrance of our subterranean refuge. His towering figure cut through the gloom, his kilt marked with the dust and turmoil of battle. Relief surged through me like a tidal wave, overwhelming the helplessness that had gripped me moments before.
“Z!” I cried out, breaking my hold on Gia. My legs carried me across the hard-packed dirt floor, heedless of the chill seeping through my soft leather shoes. His silver eyes locked on mine, igniting with a light that seemed to defy the darkness around us. For those few heartbeats, it was as if we were the only two souls in existence, bound by a force stronger than the chaos of war.
As I barreled into his open arms, his embrace enveloped me, a fortress of warmth and strength. Zikkar’s scent, a mix of the alien flora of Valose and the electric tang of technology, filled my senses, grounding me in the reality of his presence.
“Rowan,” he said, his voice a rumble that vibrated through his chest and into my ear. “The dome outlasted the Yulineons’ weapons. The city is safe again.”
I clung to him, the solid reality of his body banishing the phantoms of fear. In this moment, with his arms wrapped around me, I found a haven more comforting than any words of reassurance. Even as the threat of the Yulineons still loomed, in Zikkar's hold, I discovered a peace I never thought to feel again.
As I eased away, I was surprised to see more males had come to collect their mates and escort the others back to ground level. Gia gave me an encouraging smile and thumbs up as she followed Rose and Wynnter onto the elevator.
In the dankness of this subterranean refuge, I had come to terms with the hard truth; Earth was a memory, a place enshrined in my past where I would never step foot again. The realization was a weight I had carried silently, every moment since my abduction a stark reminder of all I had lost. Yet, as I peered into the swirling gaze of the male meant to be mine, a curious lightness settled in my chest. It wasn't resignation but acceptance—an acceptance of the pull that tethered my spirit irrevocably to his.
The elevator returned and with his hand firmly clasping mine, Zikkar guided me onto the conveyance and away from the underbelly of the palace, leading me toward the proverbial light that signaled the end of my grief in darkness and the beginning of a new chapter. As the elevator ascended, my mind was a whirlwind of emotions—fear, relief, and an unexpected resolve.
Emerging from the confines of the underground, the city of Huren unfolded around us in a chaotic ballet of movement and sound. The city teemed with Valosians, their muscular forms moving with purposeful haste in the aftermath of a our shared close call. No doubt, figuring out how to better fortify the dome.
“What happens next?” I watched, mesmerized by the harmonious disorder.
“We keep working on the long-range weapon,” Zikkar replied. “And hope Nekko and his squad find the power sources we need on the crashed ship.”
“You’re sure the Yulineons will return?”
“Zaku is certain of it. He described them as tenacious and swore they would never give up until Universeval Rule is upheld.”
His grave answer only solidified my decision. “I know you’re anxious to get to work, but do you have some time to spare for me?”
“Always, my heart.”
“We’re going to need some privacy first,” I smiled and led Zikkar along the winding path to my hut. As the twin suns dipped below the horizon, a tapestry of twilight hues enveloped us, casting a gentle glow from the bioluminescent flora around us. Every step that brought us closer to my hut resonated in harmony with the pulsing beat of my heart. A heart that had serendipitously discovered its perfect match within another's chest.
“Remember the first time we met, and you sat with me in the medic bay on the island?” I glanced up at his profile, strong against the dusky sky as we reached the door. “Everyone else was asleep and you brushed away my tears, promising you would never let anything hurt me again even though I was convinced this alien world would never feel like home?”
Zikkar nodded, his silver eyes mirroring the first glimmers of starlight piercing through the darkening sky. “I remember,” his voice, smooth as velvet, resonated softly in the stillness of my hut as we stepped over the threshold.
I am always with you, Rowan, even if I’m not physically here,Zikkar’s words from the island came back to me and I finally understood their meaning. A tiny piece of him had woven its way around my heart the first moment I clapped eyes on him. I was never alone on Valose because a piece of Zikkar lived within me.
