moment, and the heat of his gaze scorches me to the point a flush works its way down my body. Then he snakes his hand around the back of my neck, pulling me close.
“If you were not in danger, I would take you here and now, if only to assure myself that you still live. The sight of him touching you drove me insane with rage, but when he threatened your life…” Jaxar shudders and closes his eyes briefly, the haunted look still in his gaze when he opens them.
I gingerly wrap my arms around his neck and press my body as close as I can get. “I’m here,” I say against his lips. “I’m alive because of you.”
Jaxar takes my mouth and conquers it with his. Into this kiss we pour every ounce of emotion we have available. I surrender my fear and terror, exchanging it for security and peace. And Jaxar gives me his fury and agony in exchange for my love and comfort.
He jerks his head away from me, breaking the kiss and inhaling deep as I let my head fall onto his chest, my breaths uneven.
“It is too dangerous to fuck you here even though the need to is unbearable,” Jaxar says. “But if I continue to kiss you, I’ll damn us both and take your cunt until I’m no longer crazed from what Morox did to you.”
“What do we do now?” I whisper.
Jaxar strokes my hair, and I’m not sure who he’s comforting, but it’s mostly likely both of us. “I cannot protect you from the enemy just outside because I’m at a disadvantage,” he says. “I had to break the bones in my hand in order to be free of the chains so I could get to you, and I also rendered myself flightless. If I hadn’t, I would take you away from here right now and then return to save our people.”
I nod, unsure of what to say.
“Makayla?”
“Yes?”
He hesitates, and it’s as if every muscle in his body turns to stone. “Where are my son and daughter?”
I lean back to hold his face and give him a weary smile. “I sent them away with Yania and Iraxion before I was captured.”
Jaxar’s shoulders droop, and he exhales. “Now it is you who needs to be gone from here.”
He helps me climb off the bed and then walks over to the wall of the tent that’s opposite the entrance. “We won’t have much time left before one of Morox’s warriors comes to check on the welfare of their Masse.”
He pierces the animal hide with his claws and then drags them down, creating an opening. I wait while he climbs through, glancing back at the entrance as the fear of being discovered gathers in my gut. Jaxar turns to assist me, and once I’m outside, he’s pulling me in a brutal sprint toward the trees. We weave through the tents, skidding to a halt when a Boraq male rounds one of the dwellings.
Without hesitation my husband drops my hand to lunge forward, quickly slicing through the male’s throat. Before the body hits the ground, Jaxar is yanking me behind him once again. Even severely wounded and handicapped, he seems unstoppable. He slows his pace when we enter the forest, but I still struggle to keep up with him. And even though I want to ask him where we’re going, I don’t because I need every bit of oxygen available just to stay on my feet.
“The Dravians should’ve arrived by now,” Jaxar says, not sounding winded whatsoever. “Yet I highly doubt they’ve been overtaken. So we will head to the location of the coordinates I gave Varek and pray they are there.”
I nod even though he doesn’t turn to look at me. It feels like a betrayal to leave our people behind, but we are only two individuals, and that is not enough to secure their freedom. As we run, I have to continuously push aside my worry for my friends, and it’s nearly impossible. With Morox dead, I can only hope there will be dissension among his people, which could delay any suffering. If I think otherwise, I will collapse into a ball of hysteria that will serve no one, least of all my tribe and allies.
Jaxar stops so suddenly that I barrel into his back. He spins to catch me from falling, but I don’t miss the tilting of his head as he steadies me. It takes me a couple seconds, but then I hear