Page 32 of Primal Vow

Taryn was different. Being around him felt different.

It was a feeling that Rhys didn't want to examine too closely. He was a survivor, always thinking of his next move, his next strategy. The idea of feeling anything for a man who could snap him in half with a single blow… it was madness.

For the first time in his life, Rhys wasn't sure of himself.

And that uncertainty was the most dangerous thing of all.

But as Taryn set one foot in front of the other and began to lead the way across the swaying, creaking bridge, that deep, unexpected dread only grew. "Rhys, follow me."

Rhys stepped up to the bridge, trying not to look down. "Jesus. Okay. Here goes…"

The rope creaked beneath his feet, and Rhys followed Taryn into the unknown.

The bridge swayed. The ropes squeaked and shook. Far below, the river roared furiously. Rhys's heart pounded like a trapped animal. His breaths came quick and shallow, each one a struggle.

He couldn't look down. He couldn't look up. He couldn't look anywhere but the air in front of him, staring out of wide eyes but seeing nothing.

Taryn was next to him, a reassuring presence. This was probably normal for Borraq. Hell, they probably did this as kids, running back and forth across chasms like it was a simple walk down to the canteen.

The feeling of being utterly out of his depth gnawed at Rhys, distracting him, filling his stomach with sickly dread.

Rhys wasn't a Borraq. He wasn't made for the wilderness, the sky, the world around him. He was just some useless piece of space trash, good for nothing at all, bringing everyone down around him—

He put a foot wrong.

His boot slipped, and then his weight followed it, leaving nothing but empty air beneath Rhys.

He let out a strangled cry as he fell, flailing, the sound lost to the rush of the wind and the roar of the water below.

The river hit him like a fist, cold and shocking. It swallowed him whole, dragging him down, down, spinning him in its dark embrace.

There were no swimming lessons in space stations.

His struggles were desperate, instinctual, the movements of a creature that had never been at home in the water. He clawed around him for the surface, his lungs burning for air, the world spinning and darkening around him.

It was cold. Colder than metal, colder than ice, as cold as the nightmares he'd always had about dying in space…

And then something strong seized him by the back of his shirt, hauling him upwards. Rhys burst from the water, gasping, the world a dizzying whirl. The river tried to tear him from the strong grip that held him, but the figure at his side was unyielding, a rock in the tumult.

Taryn dragged him towards the shore, the alien's muscles bulging beneath his golden skin as he battled against the pull of the current. With a heave, he yanked Rhys's weight up into his arms.

Rhys clung to Taryn, shivering and gasping, the world spinning. The spray of the angry river fell on his face, mixing with the cold sweat that covered him. His heart raced, a mix of shock and adrenaline. He was dizzy, disoriented, the world tilting and blurring.

Taryn was a predator, a fierce warrior, a creature to be feared. But in that moment, as he loomed above Rhys, his eyes blazing in his handsome face, his chest heaving, his body a thing of sculpted perfection beneath the river-soaked fabric of his clothes...

He was something else, too. Something out of old legends, something sent by the gods to toy with the hearts of mortals. He was a hero, a figure of unmatched strength and courage, a being that humans could only dream of.

Taryn was something out of myth, and he'd saved Rhys's life.

Rhys's breath came in ragged gasps. "You... you jumped in after me?"

"Save your breath," Taryn growled. "Hold on to me."

The river tried to tear Rhys from the alien's grip, but Taryn was unyielding. With powerful strokes, he swam through the raging current, dragging them both towards the distant shore.

It was a battle against the elements, a struggle against a force that cared nothing for the desires or strengths of the two tiny creatures that fought within its embrace. The river fought back, but Taryn was a warrior, and he was more than a match for any foe. His eyes blazed with a determination that dared the very elements to stand in his way.

And then, with a final, desperate surge, he hauled them both up onto the rocky shore.

---