“The human ship engaged the Brakken ship last night,” I said. “Short battle. Brakken ship destroyed, ground forces captured.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Casualties?”
“Several Brakken killed in the fighting. No human or Destran losses.” I scrolled through the rest of the message. “Apparentlythe sky lit up bright enough during the engagement that some villagers saw it. We’re being summoned to the central hall in two hours.”
“Summoned?” She set down her tea. “That sounds ominous.”
“Probably just a briefing. Rezor will want to know everything now.” I put the data pad aside and reached for the fruit I’d brought. “Two hours gives us time to eat without rushing.”
She nodded and went back to her breakfast, but I caught the slight furrow between her brows. Something was bothering her.
I let her eat in silence for a few minutes, content to just watch her. Last night replayed in my mind with vivid clarity. The feel of her skin under my hands. The sounds she’d made when I was inside her. The way she’d looked up at me, vulnerable and trusting and so beautiful it had stolen my breath.
I was fortunate beyond measure to have found such a passionate, capable mate. Someone who matched me in ways I hadn’t known I needed. She challenged me, intrigued me, made me want to be better just to be worthy of her.
“Why haven’t the mating marks appeared yet?” she asked suddenly, not looking at me.
I paused, a piece of fruit halfway to my mouth. “They will.”
“But when?” Now she did look at me, and I saw worry in those dark eyes. “What if they don’t? What if this isn’t the mate bond? What if one day your real mate comes along and you leave me for her?”
I set down my food and reached across the table to take her hand. “Iris, I am one hundred percent certain you’re my mate. I know it in my bones. In every cell of my body. The marks will come when they’re meant to.”
“But you don’t know why they haven’t yet.”
“No,” I admitted. “Destran-human bonds don’t always follow the typical patterns. Sometimes the marks appear immediately. Sometimes they take time. There’s no hard rule.” I squeezed herfingers gently. “What matters is what we feel. And I feel like I’ve found the other half of myself.”
She bit her lip, still looking troubled. “What if you’re wrong?”
“I’m not.” I pulled her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles. “I will never leave you. Whether marks appear tomorrow or a cycle from now or never at all, you’re mine and I’m yours. That’s not changing.”
“You can’t know that.”
“Yes, I can.” I met her gaze steadily, letting all my certainty show. “I’ve waited my entire life for you. I’m not walking away from this. From us.”
She searched my face for a long moment, then nodded slowly. But I could see she was still troubled, the worry not entirely banished. I wished I had better answers for her. Wished I could explain why the marks hadn’t burned into my skin yet when everything else about our bond felt complete and undeniable.
But all I could do was show her, day after day, that I meant what I said.
We finished eating and dressed for the meeting. Iris retrieved her cleaned bodysuit from the small laundry unit I’d run overnight, and I found fresh clothes in my storage compartments. As I fastened my shirt, I caught her watching me with an expression that made my skin shift to warm golds.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. Just…” She shook her head. “You’re very attractive. It’s distracting.”
I grinned. “You’re one to talk. You show up in my shirt and I can barely think straight.”
She actually smiled, small but genuine. Progress.
We made our way to the central hall, a large building near the settlement’s center that served for important gatherings. Inside, we found it already crowded.
Rezor stood at the front with Cleo tucked against his side, both of them practically glowing. Cleo’s face lit up when she saw me.
“Baleck!” She pulled away from Rezor long enough to cross over and hug me. “I heard you rescued a human operative from kidnappers. Very heroic, my friend.”
“It seemed appropriate for the circumstances,” I said, returning her embrace. “Good to see you back where you belong.”
“Good to be back.” She glanced at Rezor, and the look they exchanged was so full of love and relief, it made my chest tight. “We have a lot to figure out still, but we’re together. That’s what matters.”
