Page 157 of The Edge of Dawn

But her sleep was peaceful.

Her expression was perfectly innocent, unaffected by worry or fear; all of her tension and uncertainty gone.

She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his entire life.

Arousal hit him like a meteor, nearly knocking him off his feet. He took one last look at her, savoring her perfection before he quickly retreated toward the entrance, passing through the doors and into the corridor outside.

He barely noticed when Noali followed him, activating the Qualum doors behind her so they sealed shut.

But he was grateful because at least Jade’s scent was diminished—for now.

If he hadn’t walked out then and there, he didn’t know what he would have done.

Actually, he did.

He would have lost control.

“Kaiin’s Hells,” he gasped as his Second Sight dimmed. He dropped to his knees, clutching his temples.

Goddess, have mercy.

How much longer did he have to endure this torture?

“We can help you with this,” Noali said gently. “While you wait for her to wake up.”

“You can,” Dragek grated, barely getting the words out. “Get the medic. I need something… anything. They can knock me out and throw me into stasis for all I care. Just until she wakes up.”

“We can do that. They’re pretty well equipped to deal with this sort of thing nowadays. You aren’t the first one this has happened to, you know.”

“Why am I not surprised?” His voice came out as a cracked whisper.

“You poor thing.” She made a sound; a soft, sympathetic murmur—again, a sound that only a human could make. “Let’s get you down to the med-bay. There’s no reason for you to suffer like this. They can arrange it so you wake up when she’s well-rested and awake.”

“It is… necessary.”

The gentleness returned to Noa’s face. “She’s going to be very happy when she finds out you’re back, Dragek.”

His heart swelled. He just wanted to see her again… to hear her voice, to touch her soft skin, to have her look at him in that way—with desire in her eyes.

Not in a thousand revolutions could he have imagined that he would be so desired, especially by a creature like her.

The thought was almost too much for him to bear.

Goddess, grant me oblivion.

Just until she woke up.

FIFTY

Jade’s eyes fluttered open.

For a moment, she was completely disoriented. Panic set in as she saw darkness above her.

The last thing she remembered was being caught in a nightmarish journey between dimensions, clinging to Dragek’s presence with increasing desperation as she felt his aura—normally tightly controlled—start to fray.

He’d gone back.

He’d done the inexplicable; the impossible.

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