weight I do not wish for you to carry.”
His shoulders were set. His gaze forward.
He wasn’t going to budge on this.
And she understood, a little. She hadn’t considered the fact that there were mind-reading aliens out there. What if she put him in danger without realizing it?
Shoulders slumping, silence enveloped them for the next few minutes as the thoughts battled in her head.
Everything within her told her they could find a way, but logic said the best way would be to do what he said. To forget.
She couldn’t turn back now. They’d made an unsaid deal when she’d told him she wanted to spend just one night.
This was based on her own stipulations.
She had to push through and see it to the end.
Tears formed in her eyes as she nodded.
“Is the device safe?”
Kyro swallowed hard, his form still rigid.
“I would never do anything to hurt you, Evren. The device is safe. It is illegal tech, but Rokan managed to snag one on a raid once.” He looked down at her. “I would calibrate it to only remove memory of me.”
What?
Hearing it made it all the more horrible.
“No.”
“Yes. It is the only way.”
It can’t be.
But she nodded again.
He wasn’t going to budge. He wanted her to forget him and truth was, she couldn’t live with herself if she was the reason he came to harm.
For his entire life, he’d hid his true self. Who was she to tell him now was the time to fight back? Who was she to take his choices away from him?
“Okay, I’ll do it.” The words were reluctant ones. “Now?”
“No.” He pulled her closer. “Rest now. Tomorrow is the day you forget about me.”
30
Somewhere on the Restitution base
“Report.”
“The human has been in the Borxclan’s quarters, your excellence. I have not been able to extract her.”
The silence on the other line spoke volumes. Between the plans for the shipment, the extraction had been pushed back to allow for the best chance of being successful.
“I am not amused by your incompetence. Retrieve the human in the next two turns. Your health depends on it.”
“Two turns? Sire—”
“Silence! You dare to deny me?!”
“No, your excellence. Never.”
“Two turns. Or I will have pieces of your own body delivered to me one by one.”
There was a sharp intake of breath.
“Yes, your Excellence.”
31
Kyro awoke with a feeling of dread.
The natural light in his room told him one thing: today was the day to say goodbye to his future. Today was the day he said goodbye to the one person he loved.
As his eyes fluttered open he looked down.
Still naked and entwined with him, she felt perfect. She was looking up at him now and something inside him cracked.
This had been a bad idea.
How was he to say goodbye when he would never experience this again? He loved the way she looked at him, the way she made him feel.
Even in his actual form, she made him feel...normal.
He’d forgotten what that felt like.
Her lips met his as she kissed him lightly and Kyro fought the urge to assault her mouth with his and keep her in bed all day.
He could do that.
They could do it.
They could run away. Live underground or on some lone satellite. Be together.
The Tasqals wouldn’t find them and they’d be happy.
But even as he considered it, a wave of sadness came over him.
How could he even think that? That was no life to live, especially for someone he cared about. He couldn’t subject her to the life of a fugitive.
“Today is the day,” he murmured.
Her eyes met his and it was clear she noted his sadness because it was reflected in hers as well.
“It is for the best,” he whispered, more to himself than to her. He’d have to repeat this for how many years it took for him to not feel this way anymore.
She would have a better life without him. He was going to make sure of it.
“I know.” Her hand rested on his cheek, lightly stroking. “Thank you for showing me the real you.” She sighed. “I know that wasn’t easy for you.”
“I’d do anything for you.”
A sad smile graced her face at that.
It was clear she had no idea how much he cared for her. But it didn’t matter anyway. In a few hours, she wouldn’t remember any of this.
“I don’t want to go...” Her finger covered his mouth as he was about to speak.
“I know,” she said. “I know I have to. It doesn’t mean I want to. I spent the entire night trying to