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And she was mine.

I watched her now, standing a few paces away, her back pressed against the rough bark of a massive tree. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, eyes wide with shock, fear, and something else—something that made my fur stand on end with anticipation. She wore only the tattered remains of what must have been sleeping attire—small, thin straps of cloth that left little to the imagination.

The beast within me growled with approval.

“What—what are you?” she whispered, her voice cracking slightly.

I tilted my head, considering her question. “I am Zehn Varrek Tol’Vekkar,” I said, my voice still rough from the transformation. “I am Rodinian. Legion Reaper.”

“Rodinian,” she repeated, testing the word on her tongue. “And what’s a Legion Reaper?”

I allowed my lips to curl into the barest hint of a smile. “We are the elite hunters. The finest warriors. The shadows that strike when diplomacy fails.”

“You’re a soldier,” she translated, some of the tension easing from her shoulders.

“I am much more than that, little one,” I rumbled, my tail flicking behind me. “But yes, that is close enough.”

She swallowed hard, her gaze flicking to the mangled corpse of the predator I’d dispatched. The creature had been stalking her for half a mile—a six-legged feline native to this miserable rock, with poisonous barbs along its spine and jaws that could crush bone. I’d picked up its scent long before it made its move.

The moment it had lunged, I’d been between it and my mate, my transformation triggered by instinct and rage.

I took in every inch of her, marveling at how the universe had gifted me.

Soft bronzed skin, smooth and rich like polished copper.

Long, dark hair, thick as silk, curling slightly at the ends.

Deep brown eyes—dark with fire, with spirit, with challenge.

My tail flicked, my nostrils flaring as I inhaled her scent, warm and utterly intoxicating.

Beautiful.

Fierce.

My mate.

And she was here.

Against all logic, against all the probabilities, she had appeared on this world, alone, unprotected, and completely unaware of her fate.

A miracle.

A temptation.

A dangerous distraction.

She shifted slightly, crossing her arms, her bare skin catching the light in a way that tested every ounce of control I possessed.

I wanted to cover her.

With my body.

With my scent, my mark, my claim.

Instead, I focused on the mystery at hand.

“How did you come to be here, kitten?” I asked, watching as her eyes flicked up to mine.

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