for bed.”
Without waiting for my response, he reaches for the soiled towel and tosses it aside, then brings the blanket over us. He gently presses my head to his chest and wraps his arms around me, splaying his large hands across the majority of my back.
“Incarus, you may be the most gorgeous male in the galaxy, but that is only equal to your ability to piss me off,” I mumble against his toned chest.
His quiet laugh fills the air, and I grit my teeth to keep from grabbing him. Or his cock, to be honest.
“And you, little human, amuse me with your antics, starting with this weapon you’ve so desperately tried to hide.” When my entire body goes rigid, betraying my intentions, Bravik runs his hands along my back in soothing strokes. “You needn’t worry, because I wouldn’t have let you shoot me.”
I huff. “I believe it was you who said, ‘More’s the pity.’”
This time, his laughter rings out, and I can’t help the smile that creeps onto my face. Once he settles down, albeit with a wide grin, he runs his knuckles down my cheek.
“Rest.”
“Isn’t it dangerous for us to be like this? I could die in my sleep, you know.”
All traces of humor leave his face in an instant, and the swift change has me jerking back. “I will never put you at risk,” he says, his tone hard and sharp. “Not for the sake of my affliction, my carnal appetite, or my pride. You can sleep well knowing that.”
With an exhale, I lay my head down, pretending obedience when I’m really not able to handle the ferocity of him. “Okay, just make sure you pilot the ship at some point, for shit’s sake.”
“You needn’t worry. I will look after you.”
I end up drifting to sleep shortly after, denying the feeling of security that envelops me because of Bravik’s presence.
Bravik
“For the last time, you don’t need to escort me anymore. This is far enough.”
The frustration in Ella’s voice does not fail to amuse me. There’s something temptingly alluring about the way in which she battles to resist me, even though I know her intimately. I also know her desires, and despite that she no longer wants me to escort her to her people, she’ll miss me should I yield to her request. Something I have no intention of ever doing if it means hurting her or letting her go.
Ella stomps through the dense woodland, her footsteps heavy with annoyance. “Why won’t you listen to me? I said I can go the rest of the way from here.”
I continue my pursuit, pausing to remove a nest of vines blocking our path. “One does not need to obey to listen; I can hear you loud and clear.” I turn to her, the corner of my lips twitching at her reddening expression. “Besides, until I know you’re safe, I am not leaving you.”
From the moment my mark burned, my every instinct has been to claim this female. She’s not just my benediction anymore—she’s my mate. And even once I’ve reunited her with her people, I have no intention of letting her go.
Ever.
Instead of passing through the vines canopy, she digs her heels into the soil. “You say you need me to help cure whatever it is that happened to you, but…” She drags her bottom lip between her teeth, gnawing the delicate flesh. With a sharp inhale, she finishes her sentence so quickly I almost miss it. “I don’t need you anymore.”
The instant I register her words, I release the vines and close the short distance between us. The female instinctively retreats until her back nearly hits the trunk of a tree wound in ivy. Thick dark lashes flutter down to avert my gaze, but I reach out and slip my finger below her chin, tilting her head just so. She holds my stare as a shudder rakes through her delectable body and her breath catches.
I search her gaze, and within her stormy depths, I find no conviction. There’s only denial. Rage consumes me until a red veil drapes over my line of sight. Why in the name of Erebos does she continue to resist my help? It’s clear she needs me as much as I need to claim her. But I can’t until I know for sure she will survive our mating. It’s why I keep touching her, testing, watching, all to figure out if I cause her any pain. So far, I do not, but that’s not enough for