Page 22 of The Alien's Unwilling Bride

“Drakanor?” she whispered, the name tasting bitter on her tongue. “But why? What could they possibly gain from destabilizing the entire ecosystem?”

Roq’s jaw clenched, a muscle twitching beneath his skin. “Power,” he said, his voice low and angry. “If they can prove that the current leadership – my family – is incapable of protecting Tharvis, they could make a bid for control. It’s not just about resources; it’s about the future of our planet.”

SIXTEEN

Mila felt a wave of anger wash over her. She had always been passionate about environmental protection, but this was beyond anything she had faced. The fate of an entire world hung in the balance, and suddenly, her personal mission had become intertwined with the political stability of Tharvis.

“We can’t let them get away with this,” she said fiercely, her blue eyes flashing with determination. “We have to stop them, Roq. Whatever it takes.”

Roq nodded, his expression softening as he looked at her. “We will,” he promised, reaching out to cup her cheek gently. “Together.”

The touch sent a spark through Mila, and for a moment, all the confusion and tension of the past few days seemed to crystallize into something clear and undeniable. She looked up at Roq, seeing not just the duty-bound prince, but the man who had become her partner in every sense of the word.

Before either of them could speak, the sound of voices in the distance carried on the wind.

“We’ve got company,” he said urgently. “Drakanor hunters heading this way. We need to go. Now.”

She could hear the distant sound of engines approaching, growing louder by the second. Roq grabbed her hand, pulling her toward a dense thicket of alien vegetation.

“This way,” he whispered, his grip firm but gentle. “There’s a series of caves not far from here. We can hide and regroup.”

They ran along the crest, then headed back down toward the sparse trees, ducking under low-hanging branches and leaping over twisted roots, Mila felt a strange mix of fear and exhilaration. The danger was real, but so was the thrill of discovery – and the undeniable connection she felt with Roq.

They reached the caves just as the armored vehicles crested a nearby hill. Roq pulled Mila into a narrow crevice, their bodies pressed close in the tight space. Mila felt the rapid beating of his heart matching the frantic rhythm of her own.

For several tense minutes, they remained motionless, barely daring to breathe as the patrol passed by. Mila was conscious of every point of contact between her body and Roq’s – his chest against her back, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist. Despite the danger, she felt safe in his embrace.

As the sound of engines faded into the distance, Mila slowly turned to face Roq. In the dim light of the cave, his eyes seemed to glow with an inner fire. Without thinking, she reached up, tracing the line of his jaw with her fingertips.

“Roq,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I...”

He leaned in, his forehead resting against hers. “I know,” he murmured. “I feel it too.”

For a moment, the world outside ceased to exist. There was only this – the warmth of his breath, the solid strength of his arms around her, the undeniable pull between them. Mila tilted her head, her lips parting slightly as she moved to close the distance between them.

A loud crash from outside the cave shattered the moment. Mila and Roq sprang apart, instantly alert. The sound of voicesdrifted toward them – rough, angry tones that could only belong to the Drakanor.

“We need to hide,” Roq said, his voice low and urgent. “There’s a network of tunnels that lead deeper into the mountains. We can lose them there.”

Mila nodded, pushing aside her disappointment at the interrupted moment. There would be time for that later – assuming they survived this.

As they made their way through the tunnels lit by a tiny flashlight that put out an amazing amount of light, Mila’s mind raced. The evidence they had uncovered pointed to a plot far more sinister than she had imagined. The Drakanor sect weren’t just after power – they were willing to destroy an entire ecosystem to get it.

“Roq,” she whispered as they paused to catch their breath. “Even if we make it out of here, how do we stop them? The damage they’ve already done... it could take decades to reverse.”

Roq’s expression was grim but determined in the faint light of his tech device. “We’ll find a way,” he said firmly. “Your environmental expertise combined with our technology – we can develop a plan to heal Tharvis. But first, we need to expose their plot and rally support from the council.”

Mila nodded, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. This was bigger than her initial mission, bigger than the political marriage she had resisted. This was about saving a world – and perhaps, in the process, finding where she truly belonged.

Hours passed as they navigated the labyrinthine tunnels, relying on Roq’s amazing mini-flashlight and intuition to guide them. Finally, they emerged in a small cavern, dimly lit by bioluminescent fungi clinging to the walls.

“We should be safe here for now,” Roq said.

Mila sank to the ground, exhaustion finally catching up with her. Roq sat beside her, close enough that their arms brushed.The simple contact was comforting, grounding her in the midst of the chaos they had uncovered.

“What happens now?” Mila asked softly, turning to look at Roq. In the soft, otherworldly glow of the cavern, he looked both regal and vulnerable – a prince bearing the weight of his world’s future.

Roq met her gaze, his dark eyes filled with a mix of determination and something deeper, more personal. “Now,” he said, reaching out to take her hand, “we fight. For Tharvis, for the truth – and for us.”

---