Page 17 of Second

“Zar’Ryn…” Her voice was a whisper, aplea she couldn’t contain.

He turned to her, his amethyst eyes blazing with intensity. His chest rose and fell with labored breaths, his powerful frame taut as if holding back an unstoppable force. The dim light cast sharp shadows across his features, accentuating the raw hunger etched into his expression.

“Elara,” he growled, his voice rough and deep, vibrating through the space between them. “I cannot fight this any longer.”

Neither could she. Her legs trembled beneath her, but she refused to retreat. She stepped closer, her fingers curling into fists at her sides as she attempted to steady herself. The bracelet on her wrist pulsed, aswift rhythm that echoed the frantic pounding of her heart. It was impossible to tell where her emotions ended and his began.

“Then don’t,” she said, her voice trembling but resolute.

That was all it took. Zar’Ryn closed the distance between them in a single stride, his hands finding her waist and yanking her flush against him. His heat was overwhelming, his strength unyielding, and she found herself melting into his touch even as her mind screamed at her to be careful, to think. But thinking was impossible when his lips crashed down ontohers.

The kiss wasn’t gentle. It came raw and consuming, aclash of teeth and tongues that left her gasping for air. His hands roamed her body, mapping every curve with a desperation that mirrored her own. She clung to him, her fingers tangling in his white hair, pulling him closer as if proximity alone could quench the fire burning betweenthem.

He pressed her back against the cold metal wall of the ship, the contrast of the chill against her heated skin sending a shiver down her spine. She moaned into his mouth, her nails raking down his broad shoulders. His growl vibrated against her lips, asound so primal it sent a surge of electricity through herbody.

“You are mine,” he murmured against her mouth, his voice a possessive growl that made her kneesweak.

“Yes,” she whispered, the word torn from her as his hands slid beneath her shirt, his fingers scorching a trail across her skin. “Zar’Ryn… I—”

Her words were swallowed by his kiss, his lips descending to her neck, nipping and sucking until she was writhing against him. The bond flared between them, amplifying every sensation, every touch, every breath. It was intoxicating, an all-encompassing pull that left no room for doubt or hesitation.

His hands trailed downward and she gasped as his fingers traced the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, his touch both rough and reverent. Her own hands were not idle, fumbling with the clasps of his armor until it fell away, revealing the hard planes of his chest and the smooth, bronzed expanse that glistened in the low light.

She ran her hands over him, marveling at the perfection of his form, the sheer power coiled beneath his skin. He shuddered beneath her touch, his breathing ragged as he pulled her closer, their bodies aligning in a way that felt inevitable.

“Elara,” he rasped, his voice thick with need. “I will stop if you tell me to.”

She shook her head, her gaze locking with his. “Don’t stop.”

He didn’t need further encouragement. With a growl, he lifted her, her legs wrapping around his waist as he pressed herharder against the wall. His hands gripped her thighs, holding her steady as he entered her with a single, powerful thrust.

The world tilted. She cried out, the sensation so overwhelming it stole her breath. He filled her completely, their connection so intense it felt as though their very souls had fused. Every movement, every touch, was magnified by the bond, their pleasure feeding into each other in an endless, spiralingloop.

He moved with a primal rhythm, every thrust sending waves of ecstasy crashing through her. The mounds lining his cock pulsated rapidly, driving her wild with need. She clung to him, her nails digging into his shoulders as she met him stroke for stroke. Their bodies moved as one, driven by a shared hunger that refused to be sated.

The bond flared again, brighter and hotter than before, and she felt him everywhere—in her mind, in her body, in her very being. It was too much and not enough, arelentless crescendo that left her teetering on the edge of oblivion.

“Zar’Ryn,” she gasped, her voice barely a whisper. “I… I can’t…”

“I have you,” he promised, his voice rough and strained. His hands tightened on her hips, abruising grip, his pace quickening as they chased the inevitable together.

When the release came, it was shattering. Elara threw her head back, acry tearing from her throat as wave after wave of pleasure consumed her. Zar’Ryn followed moments later, his roar echoing through the ship as he buried himself deep within her, his knot fusing her to him. The bond pulsed between them, binding them closer than ever, their shared ecstasy leaving them trembling and breathless.

For a long moment, they stayed like that, their bodies entwined, their foreheads pressed together as they fought to catch their breath. The bond between them hummed softly, no longer a fiery blaze but a steady, comforting warmth.

“This changes everything,” Zar’Ryn murmured, his voice low and reverent.

Elara nodded, her fingers tracing the sharp line of his jaw. “Yes. It does.”

“No turning back.”

“Not back,” she agreed. “Only forward until we figure it all out.”

ZAR’RYN AND ELARAshowered shortly afterward and came together yet again beneath the streaming hot water, the desperate need rising on a tidal wave of endless hunger. Satisfaction remained temporary, the frantic yearning constantly hovering just beneath the surface, ready to bubble up at any moment.

Once they tumbled from the shower, Zar’Ryn had his computer manufacture clothing for her—sleek, fitted pants, ashirt similar to the one he’d given her on the Marauder’s ship and a vest with multiple pockets.

Next, he insisted on taking her to the med bay. Once there, he removed her glasses and fitted her with a device.

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