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They reached the pod just as another fissure opened nearby, forcing him to leap over the gap. Ashley stifled her scream against his back, and then they fell through the door of the pod together, landing in a tangle of arms and legs on the floor.

The pod was tiny, pressing them close together as he sealed the door against the destruction outside.

Her breathing came in sharp gasps that stirred the air between them while tremors continued to rock the pod. Her hands gripped his forearms, the contact burning through his awareness despite the environmental crisis raging outside.

“We should be safe here until—” His words cut off as a violent shake pressed her more firmly against him.

His heightened senses absorbed every detail of the way her smaller body fit against him so perfectly. This was a bad idea. He was feral, tainted with Blood Rage, and she was… human. But it didn’t seem to matter. Not at the moment.

Heat built in his chest, spreading outward wherever their bodies connected.

Her heartbeat thundered against his chest like artillery fire as she looked up at him. Her subtle movement against him sent sparks of awareness through his system. Her scent—fearand adrenaline mixed with something uniquely her—filled the confined space, overwhelming his careful control.

Her hands eased up their grip as her chest pressed to his, the brush of her long hair against his throat. Even through layers of dust-covered clothing, her body heat seeped into him, making his skin hypersensitive. The primal part of his nature recognized her as female, desirable…

Another violent shake forced them closer, if that was even possible.

Her sharp intake of breath sent a shiver down his spine as his hands tightened instinctively on her waist.

Outside, chaos continued to rage—the groan of stressed metal, the thunder of collapsing structures, and the sharp cracks of earth splitting apart. But within their shelter, time slowed, narrowing to the points where their bodies connected. Every sense locked on to her with predatory precision.

Her pulse jumped when his thumb brushed bare skin where her shirt had ridden up. The contact sent electricity arcing through his system and dragged a low growl from his chest before he could suppress it.

She stilled at the sound, but her scent spiked with something other than fear. Heat rushed through his veins at the sudden answering darkness in her eyes.

Her fingers flexed against his forearms, the simple touch somehow more intimate than their full-body contact.

“Draanth it,” he growled, unable to resist any longer.

Leaning down, he claimed her lips with his own.

Her mouth was impossibly soft, yielding beneath his with a sweetness that sent fire racing through his veins like liquid plasma. The taste of her exploded across his tongue—honey, heat, and something uniquely Ashley that instantly addicted him. He deepened the kiss, savoring the perfect fit of her lips against his.

His hands tightened on her waist, drawing her closer as she began to respond. The first tentative brush of her lips moving against his nearly shattered his control like a plasma bolt through glass. Her breath caught, hitching in her throat, and she melted into him with a small sound that made his blood burn.

The primal part of him roared to claim her completely, to mark her as his and ensure no other male would ever touch her. But he fought back that possessive urge, tempering his strength as he cradled her smaller frame against him. Even as desire coursed like molten metal through his system, he kept the kiss controlled, gentle despite the passion threatening to consume him.

Her fingers slid up his arms to curl around his shoulders, the light pressure of her touch setting his nerves ablaze. He felt the rapid thunder of her heartbeat where their bodies pressed together, matching the desperate rhythm of his own.

“Draanth take me,” he muttered against her lips, struggling to maintain control, to hold back the full force of his passion. He could barely think past the urge to taste more of her.

Savoring each soft brush of her lips, he memorized the way she fit against him. The kiss remained gentle despite the inferno raging through his blood, despite every enhanced sense screaming at him to claim her completely…

Lila followedKal and Tor through the garrison’s winding corridors, her footsteps echoing against polished stone floors. Harsh overhead lights cast angular shadows across the walls, making the already towering hallways feel more imposing. She walked between the two Izaean teens, aware of the weight of curious stares from passing warriors.

A warrior with amber eyes and ritual scarring across his scalp stepped into their path. Zeke—she remembered him from the work site, always watching from the shadows.

“Where are you three headed?” he asked, his deep voice resonating in the corridor.

Kal’s spine went rigid. “Just showing Lila around the lower levels, sir.”

Zeke studied them, his gaze lingering. “Keep her safe. Her mother would have my hide if anything happened to her.” His eyes caught Lila’s before returning to the boys.

“We’ll protect her with our lives,” Kal said.

The transformation fascinated her—how both teens snapped to attention, their voices shifting from casual to deferential in an instant. These same boys had been laughing about holo-vids with her earlier.

They descended further until they reached a heavy door marked with angular Izaean script. Beyond it, a stairwell stretched down into darkness, lit by strips of pale blue emergency lighting. A cold draft carried the sharp tang of metal and mineral deposits. Lila paused at the threshold, her fingers brushing the cool railing.

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