Page 44 of Bound

“You are my everything,eregri,” he murmurs. “I need to nest for you, mate you, hold you, until the stars go super-nova and time comes to an end. I cannot fail you, but I cannot deny what I am.” He lifts his head and his dark eyes drill into mine. “I am a killer, Chrissie, and I will always kill for you.”

I cup his cheek with my hand. It’s my turn to have a pounding heart because I don’t want Rych to hurt any more than I hurt.

“It’s okay,” I say. “It’s okay. This place, this galaxy is filled with things I don’t understand and have had to accept. I don’t ever want you to deny your true nature.”

“I don’t know what I am.” Rych shakes his head. “Memories forgotten, half remembered, pain and death, it’s all churning away in here.” He taps the side of his head. “I live in the present, but with you in my life, I need to be in the past and the future. I don’t want these gaps. I want to be whole, for you.”

“Then we’ll find out who you are together,” I say as his dark, dark eyes study my face.

My chest feels tight, like it did when I was sick but not quite the same because his gaze makes my breathing easier, lighter.

“Together,” he murmurs.

“Together.”

RYCH

I don’t want Chrissie to know I’m still feeling the effects of the paraxio. The vrexing drug has never been one of my favorites and this is why. I’m probably not going be free of it until the end of the nova-day, and even then I’m going to feel like I’ve been wrung out and left in Klynn’s armpit.

Vrex the Voltes, Vrex Szar. Vrex all of this, save for my sweet mate who walks valiantly at my side.

The only good thing I did last night was to fly us close to a bright forest, the one we’re walking through in the hope of finding out where we are. The vegetation cover means if anyone, or more specifically, the Loxzian, is looking for us, they’re going to find it difficult. Not only does it reflect heat, meaning ours cannot be detected, but the dense canopy deadens any sound attempting to escape.

But within it, it’s cool and calm, which is just what my brain and body require. Admittedly my body would also like to mate and nest, not necessarily in that order, but I’m doing my best not to think about either of those two things.

Instead, I’m planning what we have to do next. Having a Loxzian hunting my mate is enough to snap my brain into gear.

“Once we find transport, we have to get back to Tatatunga and the dome. You’ll be safe there,” I explain.

“I’ll be safe in a place dedicated to killing?” Chrissie queries.

“You’ll be safer with more gladiators to protect you.”

“More?”

“My two compatriots, Maxym and Klynn.” I laugh, unable to help myself. “A greater pair of killers you’ve never seen, but they’ll help me. They have their own issues, but all Gryn understand what it’s like to have aneregri,” I say, frowning at the words coming out of my mouth.

“What is aneregri?” Chrissie asks innocently.

I sweep her off her feet, tossing her into my arms as she squeals beautifully.

“You are!” I inhale her scent deeply, pulling it into my lungs. “It means fate handed you to me. A precious star to be treasured.”

“And what does that make you to me?” she says, arms around my neck. “My rock? My anchor?”

“I want to be your everything, but I’ll settle for being your mate.”

“I think that fact is well established.” Chrissie chuckles.

I give her a good, long kiss, so I can taste her afterwards, before setting her on her feet because I know she prefers to walk. Her ability to do so has improved the longer we’ve been out in this wilderness, and it makes me wonder…

“Look!” Chrissie calls out, pointing up ahead.

The forest abruptly stops, and there are large, square metal boxes scattered around a clearing.

“Wait here,” I say, moving ahead of her. The place doesn’t smell abandoned, and the boxes haven’t been here for long given the freshness of the cut trees. Even so, to find something like this, deep in the middle of nowhere—it has to be related to contraband of some kind.

I stalk carefully around the containers until I come to one which is slightly ajar. Peering inside, my heart brightens considerably. I race back to my mate and tow her with me.

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