Page 23 of Devil's Night

“Nicole.” My name rolled off his tongue carefully, tenderly. “There is something you must understand about my people.”

I tensed, my heart giving a hard thump against my ribs. Was he going to tell me this – whatever it was between us – couldn’t continue? The thought made my chest ache fiercely.

Sargon must have sensed my sudden anxiety. He reached out, his large gray hand cupping my cheek, his thumb brushing over my lips in a soothing gesture. “Peace, little one. I mean you no distress.”

I leaned into his touch, trying to relax.”What is it?” I asked, carefully, afraid to hear the answer.

“The Vinduthi “ He paused to weigh his words carefully. “We are not like your kind. Our emotions, our instincts, run deeper. More primal.”

His gaze burned into me, intense and unblinking. “When we take a mate, it is for life. There is no going back from that bond once it is forged.”

The world came to a stop.

A lifetime commitment? To me, a human he barely knew? It should have terrified me, but instead, a peculiar sense of rightness stole over me.

“Are you saying…?” I couldn’t finish the question, hardly daring to hope.

Sargon leaned in until our foreheads were nearly touching. His proximity was dizzying, that heady, musky scent surrounding me.

“I’m saying that you are mine, Nicole Carter,” he growled, the words sending a shiver of anticipation through me. “And I am yours. If you’ll have me.”

There was no decision to make, not really. From the moment I’d laid eyes on this fierce alien man, I had been lost. Pulling him to me, I sealed my mouth over his in a passionate kiss.

“Yes,” I breathed against his lips when we finally parted. “Always yes.”

EPILOGUE: NICOLE

It had been a week since Sargon and I stepped through that portal, leaving my world behind to face an unknown destiny together. In that span of time, so much had changed, yet the bond tying us together only grew stronger with each passing day.

He spent time on his percomm, long conversations with the brother’s-in arms-who thought he had disappeared for good.

I caught glimpses of their faces, as he explained the time trap, our meeting.

Despite them all looking like hardened Vinduthi warriors, I could tell how relieved they were that he had returned, and how curious they were about the little human they could see peeking over Sargon’s shoulder.

One morning, I awoke to find Sargon already up, his intense red eyes studying me so tenderly that my heart fluttered. “Get dressed, little one,” he rumbled. “I have a surprise for you.”

Intrigued, I did as he asked, donning a lightweight sundress in shades of green that complimented my auburn hair. When I emerged from the bathroom, Sargon’s gaze raked over me appreciatively, his sharp teeth flashing in a wolfish grin.

“Stunning, as always,” he murmured, pulling me into his embrace.

“So, where are we going?” I asked as we made our way out of our quarters and into the bustling space station.

Sargon’s only response was a mysterious smile. He led me to the hangar bay, where a sleek private craft awaited us. My brows rose in surprise – Sargon certainly knew how to travel in style these days.

As we settled into the plush seats and the engines fired up, I felt a slight tingle across my skin. Sargon must have noticed my reaction, because he reached over and tapped a spot just below my ear.

“I took the liberty of getting you a translator patch,” he explained. “It will allow you to understand any language we encounter.”

I marveled at the tiny device, giving it an experimental tap. Instantly, the whirring of the ship’s systems and the chatter from the control tower became comprehensible. “Sargon, this is amazing! Thank you.”

He merely inclined his head, those red eyes glinting with approval at my delight. The ship lifted off smoothly, and before I knew it, we had broken through the station’s atmosphere and entered the starry expanse of space.

Sargon’s large hand found mine, his thumb caressing my knuckles.

“Where are we going?” I asked again, tearing my gaze from the viewport to look at him.

“Somewhere incredible,” was all he would say, that slight smile still playing about his lips.

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