Page 36 of Across the Crimson Sands

Davor snorted. “You’ve got that right. Alright, I’ll make some calls. Keep her safe in the meantime.”

The call ended, and I was left alone with my thoughts. The city sprawled below, a cacophony of lights and sounds, but it all faded into the background.

Arilee was my mate. The realization should have filled me with joy, but instead, I felt a gnawing anxiety. I was damaged goods - scarred by war and years of emotional numbness. What did I have to offer her?

I woke to the soft sound of Arilee’s breathing beside me. The early morning light filtered through the hotel room’s curtains, casting a warm glow across her sleeping form. My heart clenched as I watched her, memories of the night before flooding back.

The call with Davor. The realization that Arilee was my mate. The weight of what that meant.

I slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb her, and made my way to the window. The city was already bustling below, the streets filled with beings of all species going about their day. A group of Xarnaki merchants haggled over the price of exotic fruits at a nearby stall. A Kolluskian diplomat hurried past, tentacles twitching nervously as he spoke into his comm device.

But I barely registered any of it. My mind whirled, trying to make sense of everything. How could I explain this to Arilee? How could I make her understand what being my mate meant when I barely understood it myself?

“Rokan?”

Arilee sat up in bed, her blonde hair tousled from sleep. Her blue eyes fixed on me immediately.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing. Just... thinking.”

She raised an eyebrow. “About?”

I sighed, moving back to the bed and sitting on the edge. “About us. About what happens next.”

Arilee tensed, pulling the sheet tighter around herself. “What do you mean?”

I scrubbed my hands through my hair. Could I possibly find the right words? “Arilee, there’s something I need to tell you. Something I only just realized myself.”

She waited, her expression guarded.

“You’re my mate,” I said, the words feeling strange on my tongue.

Arilee pursed her lips. “Your... mate? What does that mean?”

I felt stupid, my tongue thick in my mouth. “For Vinduthi, it’s a bond. It’s biological, instinctual. We’re drawn to our mates in a way that can’t be explained. We don’t always know. But sometimes…”

Arilee’s eyes widened. “And you think I’m yours?”

I nodded. “I know it.”

She stood abruptly, pulling on her clothing before pacing the room. “So what, I’m just supposed to accept this? To give up my freedom because your biology says so?”

Her words stung, but I understood her reaction. “No, that’s not-”

“How is this any different from being Gorin’s slave?” she demanded, whirling to face me. “Trading one master for another?”

I flinched. “It’s not like that. I don’t want to own you, Arilee. I want to protect you, to-”

“To what?” she snapped. “To keep me? To control me?”

“No!” I stood, frustration building. “I want you to be free. But I also want you safe.”

Arilee laughed bitterly. “And you think you can give me that?”

I looked away, shame washing over me. “I know I’m not good enough,” I said quietly. “I’m broken, Arilee. The war... it changed me. I don’t know if I can be what you need.”

Her expression softened slightly. “Rokan, it’s not about you being good enough. It’s about me having the right to choose my own path.”

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