Page 441 of Fated Mates of Breeder Prison

Though words could often be deceiving, there was something about the way they flowed from him that gave me solace.

“It’s my fault,” I admitted, my voice trembling slightly, feeling the sting of my hasty decisions. “I shouldn’t have wandered off like that. Not in the middle of the night, not here.”

A frown settled on Thillak’s face, darkening his features. “It’s not your fault. You shouldn’t have to think twice about your safety, especially not here.” He paused, drawing a deep breath that caused his broad chest to rise and fall. “It’s my fault for not providing you with a security detail.”

I looked into his eyes, startled by the guilt I saw there.

My skin tingled as he reached out, brushing strands of hair away from my face.

The gentle touch was unexpected, yet rather than startling me, it warmed something deep within.

It was almost as if, for a brief moment, we weren’t in some alien confinement, but a safe, intimate space, far removed from the world’s chaos.

“Thillak,” I began, my voice filled with a newfound determination. “Who are you? Really?”

He looked away for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, before returning his gaze to mine.

The weight of his next words, however, took me by surprise. “I’m the head of a vast criminal enterprise,” he said simply. “Even from Ikmal, I continue to oversee its operations.”

I leaned back, trying to process what he just shared.

The room’s ambient sounds became sharper in the tense silence: the faint hum of machinery, the distant whispers of guards, and the subtle shift of Thillak’s breathing.

The news was a lot to digest, but instead of fear, I felt a rush of curiosity.

“Does that mean…” I hesitated, formulating my question, “you’re some kind of… kingpin here?”

A soft chuckle escaped Thillak’s lips, the sound unexpectedly melodic in the tense atmosphere. “You could say that, yes,” he admitted, the hint of a smile playing on his lips. “But it’s more complicated than that.”

The tangy aroma of a nearby fruit platter became more pronounced as my senses adjusted to the information, trying to find comfort in familiar sensations. “How did you end up here, on Ikmal, managing an empire? Why this… prison?”

His fingers touched the back of my hand. “Life has a way of taking unexpected turns,” he said, his voice low and thoughtful. “Choices made, paths taken, all leading me here, with you.”

I pulled my hand away gently, still trying to reconcile the gentle, protective man in front of me with the criminal overlord he claimed to be.

Yet, through the whirlwind of emotions, Thillak’s presence was a beacon of stability.

“Regardless of my past, or my present,” Thillak continued, his gaze intense, “know this — you are safe with me. Always.”

A peculiar warmth spread through me.

The heady mix of fear, surprise, and undeniable attraction made my head spin.

Here, in the most unlikely of circumstances, I found myself drawn to an alien with shadows in his past.

I was uncertain, but deep down, a spark of hope flickered, hinting at a connection that might just defy the odds.

* * *

Thillak’s revelation from earlier hung in the room, heavy like a thick heavy mist.

I couldn’t help but glance at him repeatedly as I tried to reconcile the stories I’d been told with the person seated before me.

But right now, there was another mystery to unravel. “Thillak,” I started, my voice tentative, “about what you mentioned earlier, being fated mates. What did you mean?”

He looked into my eyes, and I felt as if I was being pulled into the depths of a vast, star-filled universe.

I could smell the faintest hint of his musky cologne, a scent I was growing familiar with, and it grounded me as I prepared myself for what he had to share.

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