Page 58 of My Alien Pirate

"They're a disease!" Jorixx's reply was almost unrecognizable, twisted with hatred and fear. "They're changing us, destroying everything! I won't let them sabotage everything we are!"

We rounded the corner to find a horrifying scene. Jorixx stood at the temple's power core, his weapons trained on Grixxa, who was trying to reason with him. Zharrox stood between them, his ridges pulsing with distress.

"Jor, please," Grixxa pleaded. "This isn't you. The humans haven't corrupted us – they've shown us that love knows no boundaries."

"LIES!" Jorixx roared. His third eye fixed on me as I appeared, and his hide darkened with rage. "You! You started this! Your presence poisoned our captain's mind, and now the infection spreads!"

He raised his weapon, aiming directly at me. Time seemed to slow. I saw Zharrox's face transform with horror, saw him move faster than I'd ever seen him move before. There was a flash of energy, a scream of rage and pain, and then silence.

When my vision cleared, Jorixx lay motionless on the ground, and Zharrox stood over him, his weapon still smoking. Thesecurity chief's three eyes stared sightlessly at the crystal ceiling, his hide already growing dull.

"No," Zharrox whispered, falling to his knees beside his fallen friend. "Jor, no..."

I moved to him instinctively, ignoring the priestesses' rules about separation. He needed me. As I wrapped my arms around him, I felt his grief and pain crash through our bond.

"He was my friend," Zharrox said brokenly. "For so many cycles... he was my friend."

"I know," I whispered, holding him tighter. "I'm so sorry, my love."

The priestesses arrived then, led by Zalira. She took in the scene with ancient, knowing eyes. "The sacred grove has witnessed many sacrifices in its time," she said solemnly. "Today, it bears witness to the sacrifice of friendship for love. This must be part of your bonding path."

Later, after Jorixx's body had been taken away and the power core secured, Zalira drew me aside. "Your mate's pain runs deep," she said. "But his choice today proves the strength of your bond. He chose love over hatred, protection over destruction. The grove will honor this."

I looked at Zharrox, surrounded by our crew – our family – all offering comfort and support. Even in his grief, his love for me pulsed strong and true through our bond.

"When can we complete the ceremony?" I asked.

Zalira's eyes softened. "Tomorrow. The grove recognizes that you are already together in spirit, even through this separation. Your mate needs you now more than he needs ritual purity."

That night, against tradition but with the priestesses' blessing, I held Zharrox as he grieved for his lost friend. Our bond hummed between us, stronger than ever, tempered by shared pain and unwavering love.

Tomorrow, we would enter the sacred grove and complete our bond officially. But today, we had already proven its strength in the most difficult way possible. As I held my mate through his pain, I knew that love had won over hatred, trust over suspicion, future over past.

39

The Ceremony

Istood at the entrance to K'thara Grove as the first light of dawn painted the crystal mountains in ethereal colors. My ridges pulsed with a mixture of anticipation and lingering grief. The events of yesterday still weighed heavily on my hearts, but the pull of the bond drew me forward. Nova needed me as much as I needed her.

The sacred path beneath my feet illuminated with each step, the luminous moss creating a trail of soft blue light. Around me, the ancient Bondtrees seemed to whisper with the voices of countless mated pairs who had walked this path before. But never, in all our history, so the priests and Zalira had told me, had a Kraxian bonded with a human.

Zalira walked beside me, her robes shimmering with captured starlight. "Your path is unique, Captain," she said, as if reading my thoughts. "But the grove welcomes all true bonds."

As we entered the clearing, my breath caught. The Heartstone pulsed with energy, its crystalline surface reflecting the dawnlight in mesmerizing patterns. Light Dancers flitted between the trees. The tiny creatures were said to be the spirits of successfully bonded mates returning to witness new unions. I'd thought they were another myth but apparently they were another truth I simply had not seen before.

And then I saw her and my hearts nearly stopped. Nova.

She stood on the opposite side of the clearing and wore a traditional Kraxian bonding robe, but it had been modified to complement her human form. The crystal threads woven into the fabric caught the light, making her seem to glow from within. Her dark hair was adorned with tiny luminescent flowers that matched the pulse of my ridges.

Our eyes met across the clearing, and I felt our bond surge with such intensity that the Heartstone flared in response. The Light Dancers swirled around us, their colors pulsing, drawn to the energy of our connection.

"Approach the Heartstone," Zalira commanded softly.

We moved forward in unison, drawn together like binary stars caught in each other's gravity. When we met at the center, Nova's hand found mine naturally, her five fingers intertwining with my four as if they were made to fit together.

"The grove recognizes your existing bond," Zalira announced, her voice carrying despite its softness. "It has been tested by sacrifice, strengthened by adversity, and purified by love. Now, drink from the sacred waters and speak your vows."

The ritual goblet materialized in her hands, filled with glowing water from the sacred pools. I took it first, as tradition dictated. The water tasted like stardust and possibilities, and I felt it spread through me like liquid light.

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