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Elian looked away, his gaze dropping to the ground. "Do you think… Korvax will keep coming after us?" he asked tentatively.
Rael clenched his jaw, hating the flicker of fear he saw in those blue eyes. "Without a doubt. The bounty on your head is an impressive one." He couldn't sugar-coat it for Elian; any lie would only come back to hurt him later.
Rael reached out, tilting Elian's chin up so their eyes met once more. "But you needn't worry, mate. That dog can keep trying his luck. I'll send him fleeing every single time."
A brave smile tugged at the corners of Elian's mouth, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "My hero."
Rael couldn't shake the thoughts that gnawed at him. Could he truly keep Elian safe, with the whole of Vasz out to claim the bounty on his head? So many dangers lurked in these wilds — beasts and bounty hunters and the brutality of nature itself.
Any single one of them could prove Elian's undoing.
It was too much to think about. With a growl, Rael captured Elian's mouth in a searing kiss. Let actions of the heart speak louder than pretty words.
When they finally parted, both of them were flushed and breathing hard. Rael drank in the sight of Elian, lips swollen and cheeks pink, and felt a surge of possessive need slam into him.
Mine, a feral voice in his head growled. All mine.
No matter what threats they faced, what perils awaited them on the road ahead, he would see his mate to safety.
Even if he had to fight off every last bounty hunter on this forsaken planet to do it.
Chapter fifteen
Elian had never been in love before.
He'd had crushes, of course. A dashing young pilot, a kind mechanic, a pair of soldiers with laughing eyes and bright smiles…
His feelings had all been fantasies, really. Elian had never done any more than enjoy the time spent with those men as friends. With the war raging, time was in short supply.
But this… this was different. Rael was different.
Elian had never met anyone like him. The alien leader was fierce and powerful, with a warrior's instincts that were utterly alien to Elian. And yet, beneath that hard exterior, he had a tender heart. He was fiercely loyal to his people and his planet, and he had a sense of humor that was surprisingly close to humanity's own.
And when he looked at Elian, for the first time in his life, Elian felt seen. Understood.
And desired, too. The way that Rael looked at him… it sent shivers down his spine. Elian's heart fluttered at the thought.
But now, alongside that fluttering heart, there was a leaden weight in his gut. Love was supposed to be a happy thing, wasn't it? A joyful thing?
But there was danger here, too. Elian was a fugitive. An enemy of Rael's people, trapped behind enemy lines. There was nowhere safe for him. Korvax's relentless attacks were proof of that.
And now Rael was wrapped up in it.
As Elian trudged along the path behind Rael, guilt churned in his guts. Rael had called him mate… But what did that mean for Rael? How could he even keep Elian with him? What would a life together even look like for them? Rael couldn't live his life hiding a fugitive, jumping at shadows.
Rael deserved better than to be a traitor to his own people.
Before Elian could get too lost in his thoughts, Rael held up a hand, listening to the air.
Elian strained his ears, too. After a moment, even he could hear it: the sound of footsteps on the road, getting louder.
On Rael's hand-signal, Elian dodged off of the road. He ducked behind a thick shrub, concealing himself from the approaching person. His heart pounded in his chest as he listened to the footsteps growing closer and closer, the adrenaline spiking through his veins making every sound seem amplified.
Who was this? Another bounty hunter? Someone from the Borraq military, hunting him down? Korvax again, somehow, back on their trail and now even more determined to take Elian?
Finally, a rough voice broke the silence of the road. "Rael? Is that you?"
Risking a cautious peek through the thick leaves that hid him, Elian caught sight of the newcomer. It was another Borraq, this one older and more weathered than Rael. His golden skin was crisscrossed with scars, and a thick braid of jet-black hair hung down his back. One of his horns was broken, the pointed edges jagged. Despite his scars, the alien carried himself with the same easy grace that Elian had come to associate with Rael.
