Page 161 of The Edge of Dawn

You what?

Never mind. You go on. Everything’s fine now, Jade, and you’ve more than earned this. I’ll leave you alone now, and I’ll make sure nobody else bothers you, okay?

I appreciate that. Jade’s heart flipped in her chest. This was it. The moment she’d been waiting for, for so damn long.

No barrier stood in her way anymore.

Not distance.

Not time.

There was no imminent threat to deal with.

And her mind was still quiet.

As if responding to her thoughts, the black fibers unraveled, allowing her access to Dragek’s chambers.

Without hesitation, Jade stepped inside.

He was still asleep, but his presence washed over her: warm, familiar, and comforting.

It was like coming home.

FIFTY-ONE

She walked into the cool, dark room, her senses heightened in anticipation.

He was here.

It was just the two of them.

The closer she got, the more powerfully she felt his aura. Until, at last, she was standing in the room where he slept: stark and minimalist, with nothing but a cocoon-like pod along the wall; curved and bathed in shadows, with just a hint of soft blue light illuminating the area.

As she caught sight of him, her breath caught.

What surreal trick of fate was this, that she could walk in on one of the most dangerous beings in the Universe when he was completely vulnerable, caught in a deep, chemically-induced sleep?

And she knew that even if he came to, he would never harm her.

Jade reached the side of the pod.

She stared down, completely transfixed.

There you are.

He was asleep.

He lay on his back, arms by his sides, his face tilted slightly upwards; his long, dark hair strewn across the bed.

He was completely naked.

Oh, my God.

Jade had always found Dragek strikingly attractive. But now, lying here in perfect slumber—his expression peaceful and unguarded, his silvery features burnished by the gentle light—he looked like something out of pure fantasy.

Warmth spread through her chest, mingling with anticipation and desire.

She studied him in awe, taking in his strong features, which contrasted with the lushness of his lips. His eyebrows were stark, unapologetic slashes underlining his prominent, handsome brow.

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