Page 54 of Primal Vow

Elian stepped forward from where he stood at Rael's side… and then he took down his hood, showing his face.

His decidedly human face.

Elian offered the stunned Rhys a warm smile and a handshake. "It's good to meet you, Rhys. I've heard quite a lot about you— though from the look on your face, I don't think you've heard about me."

Rhys stared at the offered hand for a moment, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Then he gathered himself, and shook Elian's hand. "Uh, not exactly. I guess we were a little too busy. Nice to meet you?"

Taryn watched with a swelling sense of pride as the clan began to mobilize, preparing for the journey back to their home territory. His heart thrummed with a newfound sense of belonging, the weight of Rael's acceptance lifting a burden he hadn't fully realized he carried.

As the warriors fell into their usual formation, Taryn felt Rhys's presence at his side, their shoulders brushing together in a subtle yet profound gesture of unity. He turned to meet Rhys's gaze, his chest tightening at the sight of the human's warm smile, radiant with joy and relief.

"My home is your home now," Taryn said, his voice low and intimate. "You are a part of this clan, a part of my life."

Rhys's lips curved into a smile that spoke volumes, his eyes shining. "I never imagined a home like this," he confessed, his voice thick with emotion. "But I think I could get used to it."

Taryn reached out, his fingers intertwining with Rhys's in a tender embrace.

As they walked together, their steps in sync with the rhythm of the clan, Taryn knew that their future was intertwined — forever.

Epilogue

The village was a sight to behold.

It was nestled within the heart of Vasz's wild, scenic jungles, a place where the alien planet's lush greenery stretched as far as the eye could see, untamed and unspoiled.

It had been three months since Rhys had been brought here, since he had been claimed as a mate by a certain golden alien. And despite the odd circumstances that had led to him being here, he was starting to think of the place as home.

He sat in the living quarters that he now shared with his mate, listening to the sound of rain pattering against the building's roof. Taryn was out on official business, leaving Rhys to his own devices.

Elian was in the middle of excitedly chattering about something, his eyes bright as he gestured with a piece of circuitry in his hands. Rhys had long since learned that when it came to tech, the man just couldn't help himself. "And then I managed to rewire the whole thing to boost the signal, can you believe it? Out of nothing but a couple of broken transmitters and some spare wire!"

"I can believe it," Rhys said, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Because I've been listening to you talk about it for the past two hours."

That earned him a good-natured swat on the shoulder. Despite the circumstances that had brought them together, Rhys had found a true friend in the other man. Like Rhys, Elian was a fellow human, the only other one in the entire village. They might come from different worlds — Elian was from a generation ship, intended to be part of humanity's salvation, while Rhys was common station trash — but they still had plenty in common.

Elian was a good guy. He was optimistic in a way that Rhys hadn't been in years, unbroken by the hard knocks of the universe. Despite the alien surroundings, despite the war that had brought him here, for the first time in a long time, Rhys had found himself enjoying himself.

Elian had a way of making that easy.

The radio that Elian had been piecing together crackled to life, the sound of its speaker cutting through the gentle hum of the jungle outside. Despite Elian's best efforts, the thing was a temperamental beast, and he'd been working on it for weeks. But now, finally, it seemed to be in working order.

The two men leaned in, listening to the transmission. It was some kind of news report, speaking in complex terms that Rhys only half-understood. Humans and Borraq both spoke a common tongue, but the terms of Borraq politics were still a mystery to him. Their newsreaders spoke fast and efficiently, like they were delivering vital dispatches.

Thankfully, the same couldn't be said for his companion. Elian's eyes narrowed in thought as he listened to the words. "They're talking about a diplomatic meeting," he said, his voice grave. "A potential temporary peace between Borraq and humans."

"A temporary peace?" The concept was almost too big for Rhys to wrap his head around. Humans and Borraq, putting down their weapons and agreeing to not fight. It seemed impossible.

But doable. After all, Rhys had found getting along with the Borraq to be surprisingly easy. Despite their fearsome appearance and the dark rumors that swirled around them, it turned out that they were just… people. Kinda scary-looking people, but just people. You showed them respect and you kept your word. In return, they treated you with honor. It was as simple as that.

But showing them respect… Yeah, that was going to be a problem for a lot of humanity.

"Peace," Elian mused, his voice thoughtful. "It's what everyone wants, right? Humans and Borraq both. We've got to stop killing each other eventually."

Rhys nodded, even though the sentiment was half a universe away from his day-to-day concerns. "Yeah. It's just… I don't know. It seems too big, you know?"

"Maybe. But that doesn't mean we can't hope for it."

Hope. It was a dangerous thing. Rhys had learned long ago not to let himself get too attached to the idea of things turning out well. But still, as he looked out of the window at the village, nestled in the heart of a beautiful alien world, something warm stirred in his chest.

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