Page 48 of Deserted

I laughed, the sound rumbling up from deep in my chest. “Is that all I am to you? A convenient knot?”

“Well, that and your cooking skills. A girl’s gotta eat.”

I rolled us gently, careful of our still-joined bodies, positioning her atop me so I could see all of her. “I will give you a home,” I promised, all humor fading from my voice. “Wherever we go, whatever comes next. You will always belong with me.”

Her eyes softened, and she leaned down to press a gentle kiss to my lips. “And I’ll watch your back,” she said. “Keep you from doing stupidly heroic things. Make sure you come home safe.”

“I don’t doubt it,” I said, remembering how fiercely she’d fought for me in the desert. “My warrior mate.”

I felt my knot beginning to ease, our bodies gradually separating as nature took its course. But instead of moving away, Jas rolled her hips experimentally, a wicked smile spreading across her face as she felt me hardening again within her.

“Ready for round two already?” she teased, her inner muscles squeezing around my length in a way that made my breath catch.

“For you? Always.”

And as I flipped her beneath me once more, claiming her mouth in a kiss that promised pleasure beyond words, I silently thanked whatever cosmic forces had brought her to me across the stars. My kassari. My fate-mate. My home.

Mine to protect. Mine to pleasure. Mine to love for all the days that remained to us.

And judging by the way she gasped my name as I drove her toward another peak, those days would be filled with more joy than either of us had dared to imagine.

EPILOGUE

JAS

Rodinia Tertius wasn’twhat I expected from an alien warrior’s homeworld. No brutal training grounds bathed in blood. No sterile military compounds with warriors marching in formation. Instead, it was all sweeping vistas of amber mountains and valleys filled with vegetation that shifted colors with the passing hours—from deep crimson at dawn to vibrant gold at midday. The air tasted like cinnamon and metal, and the gravity was just light enough that sometimes I felt like I could jump and never come back down. Here, I was free in ways I’d never been on Earth, untethered from expectations I’d never realized were weighing me down.

Most mornings, I trained with Rhaekar’s squad—though “trained” was a generous word. Mostly I talked trash, and occasionally remembered a half-decent kick from my blue belt days back on Earth. I’d arrive at the outdoor combat arena just as the twin suns crested the eastern ridge, my hair pulled back in a messy braid, wearing the modified Legion training gear that actually fit my human proportions.

Today, I ducked under Tag’s massive arm as he swung at me with deliberately telegraphed slowness.

“Come on, big guy,” I taunted, dancing backward on the balls of my feet. “My grandmother moves faster than that, and she’s been dead for fifteen years.”

Tag’s lips pulled back in what passed for a Rodinian smile—all teeth and predatory intent, but with genuine amusement glinting in his yellow eyes. “Your grandmother must have been a formidable warrior.”

“Nah, she just had a mean right hook when you tried to steal her cookies.” I feinted left, then aimed a kick at his knee that he easily sidestepped.

From the sidelines, Rhaekar watched with arms crossed over his massive chest, his tail flicking with what I now recognized as pride rather than irritation. Through our bond, I felt his constant awareness of me—a golden thread of connection that hummed with protectiveness, but no longer with the panic that had marked our early days together.

His Reaper squad loved me. Probably because I brought snacks. Possibly because I talked smack. Definitely because I’d helped their commander—the most fearsome warrior in their ranks—discover a softness they’d never believed him capable of. I’d caught them exchanging knowing looks when Rhaekar’s tail would curl possessively around my ankle during squad briefings, or when his rumbling purr would escape involuntarily when I’d bring him food during long planning sessions.

“Enough play,” Rhaekar called, ending the sparring session with a command that brooked no argument. “Mission prep in twenty. Tactical assessments due by midday.”

The squad dispersed, each warrior nodding respectfully to me as they passed.

“You’re getting better,” Rhaekar said as I approached, tossing me a hydration pack. “Your footwork is improving.”

I gulped the sweet, electrolyte-rich liquid. “Still can’t land a hit on any of you mountain-sized cats.”

“You’re not meant to.” His hand settled at the small of my back, warm and possessive. “Your strength is here.” He tapped my temple. “And here.” His finger moved to the center of my chest.

“And here?” I asked with a grin, guiding his hand lower to cup my ass.

A growl rumbled in his chest, and I felt a spike of desire through our bond. “Especially there,” he agreed, squeezing appreciatively.

We walked back toward our quarters, the morning sunlight casting long shadows across the training grounds. The commlink on my wrist pinged with an incoming message—the third this week from the same source.

“Everly reached out again,” I said, glancing at the notification. “She wants to know if we will be attending the next meeting at Central Command.”

---