Page 90 of Alien Prince

Kael’s gaze shifts to where I’m pointing, and he nods. “You’re right. It’s a substitution cipher, but the pattern is… irregular.”

I glance up at him, surprised by the faint note of admiration in his tone. “So, it’s deliberate. Someone didn’t want this to be easily deciphered.”

“Exactly,” he says, his voice low and thoughtful. “Whoever sent this wanted to ensure it reached only the intended recipient. How did you get a hold of this?”

“I was doing some digging,” I admit. “I’ve been trying to learn everything I can, and… I hope it’s all right.”

His brows knit together as he works, his long fingers moving swiftly over the console. I watch him, marveling at the way his mind works and the way he focuses so intently on every detail.

“Here,” I say suddenly, tapping another part of the screen. “This symbol… It’s not like anything else in the sequence. Maybe it doesn’t belong? Could it be a marker?”

Kael pauses, glancing at me. Does he suspect me? This isn’t from me. I have no idea who sent this or what it means.

Slowly, he smiles at me, and the relief that floods through me almost brings tears to my eyes. “Good catch,” he says, his tone warm with approval.

Butterflies flutter in my stomach, and my heart skips a beat. Stupid really. I can’t let my hormones control me, so I shove my feelings aside and do my best to focus on this mysterious and possibly dangerous transmission.

We work in silence for a while, the tension between us growing heavier with each passing moment. The console hums softly, the only sound in the room aside from our breathing.

Finally, Kael straightens, his jaw tightening as he reads the decrypted message aloud. “The throne is vulnerable. The time to strike is now.”

A chill runs down my spine. “A coup,” I whisper, my voice barely audible.

Kael nods, his expression grim. “It’s a call to action. A rallying cry for those who oppose the crown.”

I turn to him, my heart pounding. “What do we do now?”

He looks at me, his violet eyes burning with anger and something deeper, something I can’t name. “We fight,” he says simply.

The intensity in his voice, in his gaze, makes it impossible to look away. And as the silence stretches between us, the tension that’s been building for weeks finally snaps.

Before I can process what’s happening, Kael steps closer, his movements deliberate but unrestrained. His hand cups my jaw, his touch warm and firm, and then his lips are on mine.

The kiss is fierce, all-consuming, and utterly breathtaking. His other arm wraps around my waist, pulling me against him, and I feel like I’m melting, every nerve in my body igniting under his touch.

I kiss him back without hesitation, my hands tangling in his hair as weeks of tension and longing pour out in a single, electrifying moment.

When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard, our foreheads resting against each other.

“This changes everything,” I whisper, my voice shaky.

Kael’s thumb brushes against my cheek, his gaze locking with mine. “Yes,” he says softly, his voice rough with emotion. “It does.”

The weight of the world fades away, and it’s just us—two people caught in something far bigger than ourselves.

Chapter Fourteen

Kael

The moment our lips meet, everything else fades. The looming threat of rebellion, the weight of my duty, the walls I’ve carefully built around myself… all of it dissolves into nothing.

Emily.

Her name reverberates in my mind as her hands tangle in my hair, pulling me closer, her kiss fierce and demanding. I have never known a fire like this, a heat that consumes every rational thought and leaves only the primal, undeniable need for her.

I should stop. I know I should.

But I can’t.

---