“Raiza, you should run,” he murmured. The sound of my name was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever heard.
“No. I’m going to stay right here. I won’t leave until you’re better,” I protested, and he coughed hard enough to make him cry out in pain. I reached out and touched his face gently, curling closer to him and ensuring that I didn’t touch any place that was still working itself back together.
I didn’t look closely, but it appeared that his missing arm was regenerating itself, same as his foot. I kept my gaze on his face and his flare.
“I don’t care what you do to me once you’re better. I’m going to stay right here until we can escape this place together,” I vowed.
“Raiza,” he breathed shakily, and I hushed him.
“Please. Rest. Sleep for me. Get better,” I begged, and he closed his lips. He looked up at me with confusion, almost as if he couldn’t believe that I was there with him.
“The men have gone. They haven’t come back. They have no reason to believe we are anything other than dead,” I reassured him.
He glared back at me with suspicion, but he eventually closed his eyes and went back to sleep. I rested my head against his good shoulder and rested on and off for a while longer until Talyn stirred against me.
I opened my eyes some while later and I gasped to find him whole. His arms surrounded me, and I was overwhelmed with relief as I felt the warmth of his embrace. I grinned, overjoyed to find his gaze clear and free of pain.
“It’s time I took you out of here,” he murmured. He didn’t rush though, and his lips brushed against mine tentatively. I kissed him with everything I had to give. I left nothing on the table.
His mouth demanded more. I gave him that. Soon enough, his lips turned bruising, and I took that kiss with everlasting pride. I moaned into him, and his teeth dragged against my lower lip. It burned, but it was delicious all the same.
His thumb brushed against my silver collar, and I knew without words that it was the only reason he’d been able to find me. He’d tracked me with it, and I was extraordinarily grateful. I grasped his hand and kissed his knuckles.
“It’s time to get you out of here, little pet,” he repeated and the heat in his tone left me thinking of nothing but his cocks between my thighs. By the husky groan that vibrated on his tongue, I could tell that he was thinking the same.
He stood up and lifted me up so that I lay against his chest. I curled my arms around his neck, holding on tight as he made his way carefully through the tunnels. I buried my head into hisneck, not caring that my legs were bare. There was nothing on my mind except for the gratefulness that he was still alive.
My heart was so full of love.
We didn’t run into anyone lingering in the city underground along the way. Maybe Talyn knew a way through the tunnels or maybe we just got lucky, but I would never know.
When we finally emerged into the light of day, it was bright. Slowly, I realized that it was early evening, and the sun was just setting. I blinked several times, squinting. Emerging from almost total darkness took a toll and both of us struggled. Unsurprisingly, Talyn recovered far more quickly than I did.
Soon enough, we stumbled onto a ship. I guessed that it was his and when we climbed on board, it shut us inside immediately. Talyn typed in a few codes and the vessel lifted off the ground. He didn’t put me down, not even for a second.
It was comforting.
I allowed myself to enjoy his embrace, hardly noticing when he tucked a blanket around me. His heat was more than enough to keep me warm and soothe my weary soul. I rested through much of the journey back home.
Home.
The ship landed on top of Talyn’s penthouse, and I opened my eyes to the city lights of Zenarkin sparkling all around me. I smiled softly.
We would be safe here. No one would be able to hurt us.
He carried me off the ship into his penthouse. He didn’t stop there either, much to my chagrin. He brought me down to amedical bay. He laid me on a table and closed a glass lid above me. I turned my head, feeling uneasy yet trusting of him all the same.
The glass lit up with blue text. A dim glow scanned over me, and a contraption of some sort stilled over me. A robotic arm rubbed a piece of cloth over my skin, numbing it before a needle sank into my flesh.
I wasn’t sure what the machine injected into me, but I immediately felt better. Any lightheadedness rushed away. I closed my eyes and fell asleep, knowing that the medical equipment at Talyn’s disposal would ensure that I was just as healthy as he was.
When I woke up again, I was tucked into Talyn’s bed. I opened my eyes and looked down at my hand, noticing I was clean. There wasn’t even any dirt underneath my fingernails. I blushed, realizing that he must have bathed me when I was out. I lifted my head and searched the room, finding him seated in a chair scanning through a series of holographic screens in front of him.
When he noticed that I was awake, he grinned and closed everything.
“My Raiza,” he murmured happily.
“Talyn,” I breathed. He looked good. Better than good. His eyes were bright. There wasn’t a shred of pain or agony within them. Thank God.
