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It wasn’t her fault, but Talyn wished she’d give him a night off. A night where he could sleep without waking in a cold sweat or jerking upright to discover he was yelling and begging her to stop.

But he had to sleep. If you didn’t sleep, you died. He’d once managed three whole days without sleep and had finally collapsed, waking up two hours later lying on a footpath. He’d not done that again.

Talyn didn’t bother to undress. He’d be up again in a few hours to see Sinead and show her around his ship.

Sinead, she was an interesting one, so full of conflicting feelings. On the outside, she was sunshine and happiness, but he didn’t need to lower his barrier far to see there was something else going on inside.

He’d caught a few fragments of her emotional state. She ricocheted from blissful happiness to despair in the blink of an eye.

He was glad he could offer her shelter from the storm inside her mind. Talyn had seen that, when she wasn’t distracted by her inner turmoil, she had a kind heart. She cared deeply and intensely for those around her. She just needed better control of herself.

The thing that intrigued him the most was the way she blocked everyone else. When they’d made contact, all he’d felt was her. She burned in Talyn’s mind like the brightest star. It wasn’t painful, but it had shocked him. She felt so deeply that it seared away everything else. When they touched, all he could think about was her. Everything else was gone. For a few brief, blissful moments, he’d been calm and focused on her.

It was why he’d made the suggestion for them to be together. Mates were supposed to comfort each other. Lillips were a tactile race and enjoyed nothing more than holding another and drinking in their emotions. He could offer Sinead peace, and she would do the same for him. They’d find a balance. He was certain of it.

He’d been confused about her comments about his perfect mate, but she’d made it clear at the end of their conversation that she was interested in the role. She hadn’t even balked at the idea of going traveling with him.

Talyn yawned loudly and starfished on his bed. That’s what he needed, time away in deep space. The farther he traveled from his mom, the quieter her voice became. Since coming through the wormhole, her contact had been less regular, and for that, he was grateful.

He hated abandoning her, but he had no choice. The day her mind had corrupted and split apart, it felt like the world had ended. His once loving, warm, and brilliant mother had crumpled before him.

Talyn had felt her mind splinter and shared her agony as she’d tried to piece things together. But her mind was gone and with it any control she had of filtering other’s emotions. She was full to the brim of the pain and worry that filled everybody. She couldn’t contain it all, so she spread out the emotions, linking into her family members. Talyn had always been close to his mom and took the brunt of it.

Every night, when he let his guard down, she seeped in and filled him with panic, fear, and terror as she tried to make sense of what went on in her head.

Talyn let out a long, slow breath as he felt the first fingers of sleep attach to him. He couldn’t fight it any longer. He had to let his barriers down and let his mom’s distressed mind in. She would find him. She always did.

It felt like only a second had passed before the dreams began. This one was different. In the distance, there was the faint sound of his mom screaming, but he could tune it out. She wasn’t there, in his face, warning him, begging him to be careful. She wasn’t throwing dark sensations at him and making him sick with fear.

In this dream, he was walking hand-in-hand with Sinead. She kept laughing and nudging him with her hip. This was a dream he could manage. Sinead’s thoughts weren’t overwhelming. They were beautiful. The kind, sweet, loving side of her was all he felt. He could almost taste her happiness on his tongue.

He turned and faced Sinead. She lifted her chin, that beautiful full mouth parted as she gazed into his eyes and stroked a hand down his cheek.

Talyn didn’t hesitate. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, bringing their lips together.

What he’d intended to be a sweet kiss, more of an exploration than anything else, turned passionate. Sinead wrapped her arms around him and molded herself to his chest. He cupped his hands around her butt and lifted her off her feet, so she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Their tongues met in a fierce crash, and he groaned into her mouth as he realized she tasted better than he’d imagined.

It was more than the physical taste of her. He felt her desire and passion running freely as they joined. She desired him. She wanted to be with him. Her head was full of thoughts of the two of them together. He could see a long and blissfully happy life with Sinead. They would never be apart. Together, they made each other whole. She brightened the darkness inside him, and he calmed the frenetic energy in her. They were a perfect match.

He ran a hand through her long, silky dark hair. She was stunning. He hadn’t realized how beautiful she was. When he’d been conscious, he hadn’t noticed. That was a side-effect of his barriers. Talyn didn’t get the pain, but he also omitted the pleasure. He’d not seen one of the most beautiful humans to walk into his life had been sitting in front of him. She’d been holding his hand and fluttering her eyelashes at him. She’d been flirting, and he’d not acknowledged it.

Talyn cupped the back of Sinead’s head and kissed her intensely, feeding off her passion and flourishing lust.

Sinead responded by grinding her hips against him, and for the first time in a long time, a deep, primal desire slid through him. Talyn hadn’t felt arousal in years. He’d not been intimate with a female since the cataclysmic collapse of his mom’s mind. He’d never dream of inflicting such darkness on another individual by letting his barrier down when they joined.

With Sinead, it would be different. She couldn’t feel what he did. She wouldn’t be infected by this illness. He could join with her, and they’d find bliss.

Talyn pulled back from the dream kiss and gazed into those striking almond-shaped eyes. “You are so beautiful.”

She smiled and cupped one of his cheeks in her hand. “We should be together.”

He nodded enthusiastically. “I agree. We’ll sign the contracts tonight. We’ll be paired. It will be good for both of us.”

She kissed him, the gentlest of touches as those full lips met his. “I’m yours.”

“Yes, that’s what I want. To be with you. To find peace.”