Page 49 of Marked By the Bounty Hunter

The last thing I felt was his kiss against my temple, gentle despite his fangs, and his whispered words:

“Rest now, mate. I’ll be here when you wake.”

I let myself fall into healing sleep, held safe in his arms and mind, knowing that when I woke, I would be changed.

Stronger.

His.

TYRIX

Isat beside the bunk where Nalina slept, watching purple markings bloom across her rich brown skin. Through our new bond, I felt each change as her body reshaped itself - bones growing denser, muscles adapting to new strength. The pain of transformation rippled between us, but she endured it with the same quiet determination that drew me to her from the start.

My comm unit buzzed. Odra’s face appeared on the small screen.

“Most of the controlled workers are responding well to the compound,” he reported. “But we lost some. Too far gone.”

I heard the grief in his words. “How many?”

“Eight so far. Security teams mainly - the ones with the heaviest modifications.” Odra’s skin shifted through troubled patterns. “We’re handling the bodies with respect.”

Nalina stirred restlessly. I brushed my fingers across her forehead, sending calm through our connection. Her breathing steadied.

“The children?” I asked Odra.

“All safe. Being reunited with their families now.” His expression brightened. “You should see Vami and Netu. The moment that little one saw her mother...” He shook his head.“Their empathic bond is already healing. Beautiful thing to witness.”

“And Dr. Gondon?”

“Gone.” Odra’s skin darkened. “But she took the whole lab with her. As far as we can tell, she managed the destruction of all research data. The Consortium won’t rebuild from those ashes.”

I nodded, pride and grief mingling. Dr. Gondon had found her redemption in the end.

Nalina’s fingers twitched as new nerve pathways activated. I caught her hand, steadying her through the disorienting rush of input.

“We found something in the lab files,” Odra continued. “Before everything went dark. Evidence of other compromised stations. The Consortium’s reach goes deeper than we thought.”

“How many?”

“At least three confirmed. Maybe more.” He gestured off-screen. “I’m compiling what we salvaged from Dr. Gondon’s data crystal. This needs to reach the right authorities.”

“Not through official channels,” I warned. “The Consortium has too many connections.”

“Agreed. But you two can’t stay here much longer. Once they realize what happened...”

“I know.” I studied Nalina’s sleeping face. Purple markings swirled across her cheekbone, echoing my own. “Give us 24 hours. She needs time to stabilize.”

“The maintenance crews will run interference as long as we can. But be careful. Security’s in chaos, but that won’t last.”

I ended the call, returning my attention to Nalina.

Her heart beat stronger, adapting to its new rhythms. Fresh neural pathways blazed through her mind as Vinduthi instincts integrated with human determination.

Pride swelled in my chest. She’d fought through the transformation with the same fierce grace she brought to everything. My mate. My equal.

Her fingers tightened on mine. Through our connection, I felt her consciousness rising toward waking.

“I’m here,” I murmured, drawing her closer. “Take your time.”

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