Page 13 of Rescued By the Luxirian

Vrax, I would not get through this week, I realized with a stab of dismay. I would not get through a week with her without bending her over this damn counter and rutting my need into her. I might not even get through a single day.

“What is it?” she asked softly, noticing that I was staring.

“Nothing,” I bit out harshly, my dull claws scraping against stone. “I contacted Quadrant Patrol.”

She straightened, her eating utensil lowering. “You did? What did they say?”

“They won’t be able to come retrieve you for a week. At the earliest,” I added, studying her expression carefully as I told her.

Her shoulders sank. “No, no, Ihaveto get back. I have an appointment with…with…well, it doesn’t matter. It’s just, I’ve had this appointment forfivemonths. I can’t miss it.”

“I’m sorry, female,” I told her, shaking my head. “They’ve locked down all transport colonies too. There are forty life pods still missing after the crash. They are trying to locate them quickly, given how inhabitable some of the nearby planets are. You’re on the rescue list last because at least they know you’re safe. Others? Not so much.”

The gravity of my words pulled her hitched-up shoulders down.

“You’re right,” she said quietly, staring down at her food with unseeing eyes. “I’m…I’m being selfish. Of course, Quadrant Patrol needs to use their resources elsewhere. To track down the rest of the pods before something terrible happens. Gods, I hope they…I hope theyfindeveryone. Did you find out if anyone else landed on your planet?”

“I ran a scan,” I said, shaking my head. “No signs of another pod. Just you.”

She blew out a shaky breath. Then she looked up at me. “I guess I’m one of the lucky ones. That’s a strange thing to think, isn’t it? After surviving a crash like that. But I am.”

We held one another’s gazes for longer than I thought was normal.

Back on Luxiria, I’d always thrown myself into my work, building up my own name,literally. My business had single handedly built up entire developments on Luxiria. I’d been chosen for a contract to build an entire city, an offshoot of the capital, shortly after I’d come of age. It had made me one of the wealthiest Luxirians in our history. With my designs, with the supplies I sourced from the very best manufacturers—stone from Tyion, wood from the forests of the Ijina, tech from Qik’li—and with my team, we’d always been in high demand.

Until greed changed everything.

Until my own family nearly ruined my entire reputation.

I prided myself on quality. Above all things. Make the foundation strong first. Build things right the first time. That had been my philosophy.

My family?

My brothers? My mother?

They just wantedmore. More of everything. And quickly.

I’d thrown myself into work until I found that I couldn’t stomach it anymore. Until I realized that I wasn’t happy, until Irealized that my family was steadily sucking away any happiness Itriedto find.

And so, it was strange to me, to be standing in the kitchen I’d built alone, staring at this human female who was entirely too pretty, who I wanted to look at forever, all while knowing that I could never keep her for myself.

Females had come and gone throughout my lifetime, attracted to my wealth and my name. Looking back, however, I realized I’d never hadtimefor them. If I prided myself on quality, shouldn’t my time be the same?

Lyra’s cheeks were growing pink.

Now I had my fated mate,right here, and all I was concerned about was pushing her away. Because I was afraid she would be like all the rest?

Perhaps…perhaps the week we had would turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

“I know it’s not what you want to hear,” I said to her carefully. I hadn’t talked so much in a single day in nearly three years. “But you don’t have to be afraid. I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

Chapter

Seven

LYRA

“I’m not afraid,” I told him softly.

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