Page 27 of The Alien's Unwilling Bride

Roq admired her grit, but concern overrode his respect. “Mila,” he said softly, reaching out to touch her uninjuredarm. “You won’t be able to help anyone if you collapse from exhaustion. Please. Just a few minutes.”

She hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. “Fine. But only for a moment.”

They settled in the clearing, Roq pulling out a small medkit from his utility belt. As he tended to Mila’s injuries with gentle hands, a comfortable silence fell between them.

“You were incredible back there,” Roq said finally, his voice low and filled with awe. “The way you stood up to Wrezen, how you fought... I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Mila winced slightly as he applied a cooling salve to her bruised shoulder, but a small smile played at her lips. “I had a good partner,” she replied. “We do make quite a team, don’t we?”

Roq’s heart swelled at her words. “We do,” he agreed, his hand lingering on her arm even after he’d finished treating her injury. “Mila, I... what I mean is... oh, stars, why is this so difficult?”

Mila looked up at him, her blue eyes wide and searching. “What is it, Roq?”

He took a deep breath, steeling himself. “When I saw you in danger back there, I felt something I’ve never experienced. It was like... like my whole world narrowed down to just you. The thought of losing you, it... it terrified me more than anything ever has.”

Mila’s breath caught in her throat. “Roq...”

“I know this started as a political arrangement,” he continued, the words tumbling out now that he’d started. “But it’s become so much more than that. You challenge me, you inspire me, you make me want to be better…for you.”

Mila’s response was to close the distance between them, pressing her lips to his in a kiss that was both tender andpassionate. Roq pulled her closer, pouring all of his emotions into the kiss – his love, his fear, his hope for their future.

When they finally parted, Mila rested her forehead against Roq’s. “You are such a sweet talker.”

For a moment, they sat there in comfortable silence, basking in the glow of their newly confessed feelings. But reality soon intruded as another tremor shook the ground beneath them.

“We should keep moving,” Mila said reluctantly, pulling away. “There’s still so much to do.”

Roq nodded, rising to his feet and offering Mila his hand. “Together,” he said, a promise in his voice.

“Together,” she agreed, taking his hand.

As they walked, Roq’s mind was already racing with plans and strategies. They would need to address the immediate environmental crisis, of course, but there were political considerations as well. Wrezen’s followers would need to be dealt with, and the council would have to be convinced of the need for drastic action.

“What are you thinking?” Mila asked, noticing his furrowed brow.

Roq sighed. “About all the challenges that lie ahead. The environmental damage, the political fallout... it’s overwhelming.”

Mila squeezed his hand reassuringly. “We’ll face it all, one step at a time. First, we need to assess the full extent of the damage. Then we can start developing a plan for restoration.”

Roq nodded, grateful once again for her practical mind. “You’re right. And we’ll need to address the council as soon as possible. They need to understand the gravity of the situation.”

As they crested a hill, the gleaming spires of the royal palace came into view. Roq felt a mix of relief and apprehension at the sight. They were almost home, but their work was far from over.

“Are you ready for this?” he asked Mila, pausing for a moment to take in the view.

She took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the palace. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied. Then, with a hint of her usual sass, she added, “Besides, how hard can it be? We’ve already saved a planet today. What’s a little political maneuvering compared to that?”

Roq chuckled, feeling some of the tension leave his body. “Have I told you lately how amazing you are?”

Mila grinned. “You might have mentioned it. But I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.”

The battle with Wrezen may have been won, but the war for Tharvis’s future was just beginning.

As they approached the palace’s entrance, Roq’s mind shifted into high gear, his scientific expertise melding with his intimate knowledge of Tharvisian technology. He began to formulate ideas, each more ambitious than the last, for how they might accelerate the healing of their wounded planet.

“Mila,” he said, his eyes lighting up with the spark of inspiration, “what if we could adapt our atmospheric purification systems to filter out the pollutants from Wrezen’s mining operation?”

Mila looked at him, intrigued. “That could work for the air, but what about the soil contamination?”

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