Page 98 of Fallen from the Stars

“When I jumped into the sea to follow your pod, not knowing what I would find,ifI would find anything…that was the first time I can remember acting at my own whim. Doing something becauseIwanted to, without considering everyone else. It was for me. I have learned that it is all right to take for myself sometimes. To take risks. Because it was a risk that gave me you.”

Tears stung Theo’s eyes as she drew back to look at him. He curled a finger beneath her chin and brushed his lips against hers. She returned the kiss.

“For all the dangers I have faced,” he said when he finally broke the kiss, “I have been afraid of telling that girl who I am more than anything. At least until I had to face the thought of losing you.”

Theo smiled and shifted one of her arms to cradle his jaw in her palm. “Meet with her tonight.”

“I must speak with Randall and Rhea, first. They will want to be involved, as is their right.” He smoothed back her hair and stared into her eyes. “But Iwilldo so tonight. After we eat and you are comfortable.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine, and I will be waiting for you. Right here.” She grinned. “In ourhome.”

He returned the grin, flashing his sharp teeth; they’d gone from frightening to tantalizing to downright sexy.

“Ours,” he agreed. “But I amnotleaving until I have eaten. I amwithering away.”

Theo laughed and lowered her hand to the tray beside them, plucking up a piece of smoked fish. She brought it to his lips. “Then let your mate take care of your needs.Allyour needs.”

Vasil’s eyes heated with a different sort of hunger.

* * *

The sky was dark by the time Vasil made his way along the path toward Randall and Rhea’s dwelling, with only the faintest sliver of orange blazing on the horizon beneath dusk-blackened clouds. He twisted briefly to glance behind. Soft light shone in the windows of his den, and it lent him more strength to push on. Theo would be waiting when this was done, no matter how it went.

He reminded himself that it would go well as he neared Randall’s door. His nervousness and unease were holdouts from a bygone time, a time now lost to history, and all he needed to do was embrace the new world to move on from them.

Lamplight glowed in the dwelling’s windows, spilling onto the ground outside to highlight the grass’ gentle swaying in the ocean-kissed breeze. This place smelled of land and sea together; Vasil liked the mingled scents even more now that he had Theo.

Allowing himself no hesitation, he lifted a hand and knocked on the door.

Something large thumped inside, the sound followed by a soft chirruping. A moment later, there was a scratch at the inside of the door.

“Relax,” Randall said from within, voice muffled.

The door swung open. Vasil’s eyes widened, and he shifted aside as Ikaros, Randall’s pet prixxir, bounded through the doorway. The creature was at least as long as Randall was tall, powerfully built, with sleek scales and a spiny fin along its back.

Ikaros darted into the long grass and out of sight.

“Son of a bitch,” Randall muttered. “Sorry, Vasil. He’ll uh…guess he’ll come back when he’s ready.”

Vasil turned back to Randall, who was rubbing the back of his head. “It is all right. No harm done.”

“Good.” Randall nodded, eyes flicking up and down Vasil’s body. “Good. Hey, I just wanted to say I’m glad you’re back safe. We searched for you for days, but I guess from what I’ve heard you were carried out a lot farther than we realized was possible.”

“Yes. A full day’s swim from the Facility.”

“Damn. We were worried that a razorback or something made a meal out of you. Wasn’t long ago there were a bunch of them up and down the coast.”

“I know.” Vasil smiled despite his lingering anxiousness. “The only things that tried to eat me were certainlynotrazorbacks. I would say the change was a welcome one, but… I suppose I would choose the known over the unknown.”

Randall chuckled. “I hear you. You’ll have to tell me about it. I caught up with my sister earlier, and she mentioned some kind of monster you guys killed at the bottom of a trench. Scary shit.”

“It was. Especially with my mate being in danger.”

“That’s right! She mentioned you have a woman.” Randall slapped a hand onto Vasil’s shoulder and leaned forward, peering out into the night. “Congratulations, man. You didn’t bring her? We’d love to meet her.”

Vasil’s gaze flicked back toward his dwelling for an instant. “Not tonight. There is something we must address first.”

Randall drew back and regarded Vasil with an arched brow. A few moments later, his eyes rounded, and his grip on Vasil’s shoulder tightened. “Oh. Oh! You’re ready? Right now?”

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