Page 43 of Human Reclaimed
TALIA
Water cascaded down our bodies as we stood entwined in Rune’s shower. Steam swirled around us like morning fog over a battlefield, but this was far sweeter. Rune’s large hands traced my back as I savored the lingering ache in my muscles from our night together.
“If you keep looking at me like that,” Rune murmured against my ear, his deep voice sending shivers through me despite the hot water, “we’ll never make it to the security center.”
I laughed and pressed a kiss to his chest, right over one of his scars. “Would that be so terrible?”
His arms tightened around me. “Five days until the pirates arrive. As much as I’d rather stay here with you, we have a colony to protect.”
I sighed, leaning my forehead against his broad chest. “I know.”
The memory of last night played through my mind like a fever dream—the moonlight on the water at his private oasis, the way he’d held me against the wall the moment we’d returned to his quarters, not even making it to the bedroom. No man had ever made me feel so wanted and so needed. So loved. It defied logic that in just five days, I’d fallen for someone who had technically kidnapped me.
But some things transcended logic. The way our bodies fit together. The way he’d opened up about his past, raw and vulnerable, telling me about the weight of surviving when so many of his fellow cyborgs hadn’t. I’d recognized the survivor’s guilt immediately. I carried my own version, having lived when Travis and Meredith hadn’t.
Rune and I were two broken pieces that somehow made a whole.
“What are you thinking about?” Rune asked, tilting my chin up with his finger.
“Us,” I answered honestly. “How crazy this is. Five days ago, I lunged at you with a scalpel.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Yes, I remember. What about now?”
“Now I’m praying we survive the pirates so we can build something together. Something real. Something that lasts.”
The raw emotion that flashed across his face made my heart skip. He wasn’t originally designed to process these feelings, yet here he was, learning to navigate them with a grace that humbled me.
“I want that, too,” he said, his voice thick. “More than anything.”
Fifteen minutes later, dressed and somewhat professional—if you ignored our lingering touches and stolen glances—we headed toward the marketplace. The morning suns streamed through gaps in the canopy, casting their light across the pathways. Colonists nodded greetings as we passed, and I realized I no longer felt like a captive here. This place felt like home.
“Nexus has the best breakfast in the colony,” Rune said, guiding me toward the small stall adorned with climbing purple vines that resembled morning glories.
“Captain Reed!” Nexus called cheerfully as we approached. The lean cyborg with expressive eyes and a flair for the dramatic had always treated me like a welcomed guest rather than a captive. “And Commander Rune, looking particularly… rested this morning.”
I felt heat rush to my cheeks as Rune’s hand settled possessively on my back.
“Two protein wraps,” Rune ordered, ignoring the teasing. “One mild, one regular.”
“Yes, the usual,” Nexus winked at me. “How are you adjusting to Planet Alpha’s cuisine, Captain?”
“Better every day,” I replied, accepting the wrap he handed me. “Though I still can’t handle the spices like Rune can.”
“Few humans can.” Nexus laughed. “Your species tends to have more sensitive taste buds.”
As we collected our breakfast and turned toward the security center, Rune’s communicator chimed. His face darkened as he read the message.
“Tegan spotted unusual activity at the outer sensor range,” he said, his voice shifting into commander mode. “We need to move.”
I watched him transform before my eyes—from the tender lover who’d held me close under the moons to the hardened soldier he’d been trained to be. It was strange how attractive both versions were to me now.
We sprinted through the winding stone paths of the colony, passing curious onlookers, our breakfast wraps still clutched in our hands. My heart thundered wildly—not from the run, but from the gnawing fear of the pirate threat.
The security center’s doors slid open with a hiss. Inside, Tegan’s broad shoulders were hunched over his workstation, his fingers flying across holographic displays. Sage stood beside him, her blonde ponytail swinging as she pointed at something on the screen.
“What’s happening?” Rune demanded, closing the distance to Tegan’s station in three long strides.
Tegan looked up, his green eyes flashing with frustration. “Bad news. The pirates’ fleet has pushed through the outer reaches faster than we calculated. All five ships.”
