Page 106 of Akur

Something swelled in his throat. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard her say that, and something told him it wouldn’t be the last.

“Buckle in, bright eyes. We’re not heading to the neutral zone anymore,” he said, pulling up the coordinates from the encrypted message. “We’re taking a detour.”

She didn’t even pause. Dropping into the seat beside him, the restraints pulled themselves across her at the same moment that one of the Tasqal ships finally came into view. His entire frame tingled as Kon-stahns reached for him, gripping his arm almost on instinct.

The Tasqal ships were beasts. Black. Sleek. A symbol of their wealth, power, and status.

“Shit, Akur, take that detour.”

“CHANGING DESTINATION,” the ship communicated. “MANUAL CONTROLS ENGAGED.”

“Manual?” Kon-stahns’ gaze slid to him.

“The only way.” His gaze shifted to the viewscreen. “The only way for us to get through that.”

He could tell the moment she noticed what they were swerving toward. The moment it became clear their chances of survival had once again dimmed.

“Um…Akur…”

Before them was a massive expanse of wreckage, the blurred forms of dead vessels and tiny parts becoming clearer the closer they went.

“This detour…” Kon-stahns gripped his arm tighter.

“It came in a comm. I don’t know who sent it…But it’s the only chance we have. If we stay on this course, they’ll catch us in clicks. We have to trust it.”

Kon-stahns jerked her chin to her chest, squeezing his arm tighter, her warmth flooding through him like a salve. “Do it. I trust you. They’ll have to slow down to follow us. We can use the debris for cover.”

“It’s a risk,” he said, not bothering to hide the warning in his tone. But he should already know this female was as insane as he was. After all, she’d accepted him inside her not once, but twice. She’d even accepted his seed in her mouth. She was his, and maybe that insanity was what bound them.

“Everything’s a risk,” she shot back, her eyes blazing as she met his gaze. “But if we stay out here, we’re dead.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then he gave a sharp nod, his claws moving to adjust their course.

“Hold on,” he said.

The ship banked sharply, diving toward the sprawling field of twisted metal and shattered shipwrecks. The proximity alarms screamed in protest as the debris loomed closer, jagged fragments spinning in the void.

Kon-stahns gripped his arm tighter; so tight he could feel her life-organ pounding through her veins. He could almost feel her stomach sink at the sight of the Tasqal ships closing in. Their sleek, predatory forms moved with terrifying precision, their engines flaring as they adjusted their trajectory to follow.

“Akur, they’re not slowing down.”

“They don’t need to,” he growled. “They’re faster, stronger. Better shields. They’ll tear through the debris like it’s nothing.”

“Then—” Her wide eyes flew to him. “Why the fuck are we doing this?!”

His gaze slipped over her. Over her thin brows, the way her pert little nose tilted to the air, the way her lips were full… “Because I’m going to do something insane.”

She didn’t even flinch. Instead, her eyes narrowed as she faced the debris field before them. Her shoulders set. In that moment, he knew, whatever he decided, she was with him. “What are you thinking?”

He grinned, a flash of teeth in the dim light. “Something even you might think is crazy.”

“Try me,” she challenged, her grip tightening on his arm. She sent him a small grin, too.

The sight sent a tingle down his spine. He met her gaze, a spark of shared recklessness passing between them. They were partners in this madness, two rebels against the universe, a warrior and his human taking on an empire.

“Hold on tight, bright eyes,” he said, shifting the controls. “This is going to get…interesting.”

The ship plunged deeper into the debris field, alarms screaming. Jagged fragments spun past the viewscreen, some cutting into the tiny ship’s hull.

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