Page 50 of The Alien's Runaway Bride

She whirled, her heart in her throat, to see Vex stumbling away from her, blood blossoming on his side where a warrior’s blade had found its mark. Vex swung his arm, slicing through the attacker who would’ve struck her if not for Vex.

Time seemed to slow as Raelee watched him fall, his face contorted in agony.

“No!” The scream tore from her throat, raw and primal.

Rage, hot and all-consuming, flooded through her veins. Raelee hurled herself at their assailants, all finesse forgotten in the face of her fury. She fought like a woman possessed, her movements a blur of desperate strength. Her world narrowed to a pinpoint focus: protect Vex, stay alive.

But they were outnumbered, and Vex was down. Raelee held her ground, standing over his prone form, her weapon a whirlwind of defense. Sweat stung her eyes, her muscles screamed in protest, but she refused to yield. She would die before she let them touch him again.

Just as her strength began to falter, a new voice rang out.

“For Tharvis!”

Garek burst into the fray, a team of elite warriors at his back. The tide of battle shifted in an instant. Raelee allowedherself a moment of relief before redoubling her efforts, fighting alongside Garek to push back the attackers.

With the reinforcements, the battle was over quickly. The last of Eerion’s forces fell or fled, leaving behind a scene of carnage and the heavy silence of aftermath.

Raelee dropped to her knees beside Vex, her hands shaking as she assessed his wound. “Vex? Vex, can you hear me?”

His eyes fluttered open, pain clouding their usual intensity. “Raelee,” he rasped. “You’re... safe.”

A sob caught in her throat. Even now, barely conscious, his first thought was for her safety. The realization hit her like a physical blow. All her anger, her sense of betrayal over his deception... it all paled in comparison to the fear of losing him.

“You idiot,” she choked out, tears streaming down her face. “Why did you do that? Why did you take that hit for me?”

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “Duty to you... before self,” he whispered, echoing his oft-repeated mantra.

But Raelee shook her head fiercely. “No. This wasn’t duty. This was...” She trailed off, the word lodging in her throat.

Love. This was love.

The truth of it washed over her, sweeping away the last of her resistance. Vex hadn’t hidden his identity out of malice or manipulation. He’d done it because he wanted a chance at real connection, at a relationship built on more than political necessity. Just as she had.

“Garek!” Raelee called, her voice cracking. “We need to get him back to the palace. Now!”

Garek was at her side in an instant, his face grim as he took in Vex’s condition. “The transport’s ready. We need to move fast.”

Together, they carefully lifted Vex. He groaned in pain, the sound tearing at Raelee’s heart. As they made their way to the transport, Raelee kept her hand pressed firmly against Vex’s wound, willing her strength into him.

The journey back to the palace was a blur of tension and fear. Raelee sat by Vex’s side, her eyes never leaving his face, silently willing him to hold on. Her mind raced with all the things left unsaid between them, all the moments they’d shared, both as strangers on Earth and as betrothed royals on Tharvis.

She thought of their first meeting in that dingy diner, the instant spark of connection that had caught her off guard. She remembered the exhilaration of their impromptu road trip, the way his quiet strength had been a balm to her restless spirit. The memory of their first kiss charged with unspoken longing and the thrill of the forbidden sent a shiver down her spine.

But more than that, she thought of the man beneath the princely facade. The man who had listened to her dreams and fears without judgment. The man who had shown her wonders beyond her wildest imagination and had opened his heart to her even when she’d been determined to keep hers closed.

“I’ve been such a fool,” she whispered, her fingers gently brushing a lock of hair from his forehead. “Please, Vex. Please be okay. I need to tell you...”

The transport touched down at the palace with a jolt, snapping Raelee out of her reverie. A team of medical professionals swarmed around them, whisking Vex away on a hover-stretcher. Raelee made to follow, but Garek’s hand on her arm held her back.

“Let them work,” he said gently. “They’re the best in the galaxy. He’s in good hands.”

Raelee nodded numbly, her eyes following Vex’s retreating form until he disappeared from view. The adrenaline that had kept her going began to ebb, leaving her feeling hollow and drained.

“Come,” Garek said, steering her to a nearby room. “You need to rest and get checked out yourself. I’ll update you as soon as there’s news.”

Raelee wanted to protest, to insist on staying by Vex’s side, but the logic of Garek’s words penetrated her fog of worry. She allowed herself to be led away, collapsing into a chair as soon as they entered the room.

As a medical droid tended to her minor injuries, Garek filled her in on the situation. “Vex’s brothers have successfully neutralized the warrior sect for now,” he reported. “But the political situation remains fragile. There will be more challenges ahead.”

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