Page 17 of Vylit: Glowing for Her
His bioluminescence flared in complex patterns… anger, determination, and something deeper that made my pulse quicken despite my lingering doubts.
"I want to complete our bond because it will protect you," he said, each word deliberate and heavy with meaning. "And because what began as genetic compatibility has become something more. At least for me."
The vulnerability in those last words cracked something open inside me.
"What if this is exactly what Asset P wants?" I pressed, needing to be certain. "What if completing our bond plays into their hands?"
Silvyr looked up from his data streams, silver skin flashing with calculations. "Actually, Asset P's algorithm prioritizes incomplete bonds. Fully bonded pairs show significantly lower extraction rates." He tilted his head, emoji drones briefly displaying statistical curves. "Potentially because separation sickness makes fully bonded mates less valuable as breeding stock. You're the exceptional part of the genetic equation. Even with someone less compatible, you'd still have much higher compatibility than a same-species mate."
My stomach lurched at the clinical assessment of my potential value. The moss covering me rippled in response, its texture shifting from protective to soothing against my skin.
"So, completing the bond might actually protect us from Asset P's plans?" I clarified, grasping for certainty even as my emotions swirled in chaotic patterns.
"Statistically speaking, yes." Silvyr nodded. "Though correlation doesn't necessarily imply?—"
"We get it, data boy," Kazmyr growled, cutting him off. "The human needs to decide without your statistical dissertation."
I almost smiled at the interaction despite everything. These alien warriors, for all their differences, showed patterns of behavior I recognized… the analytical one, the blunt one, and Vylit... the passionate one, whose glow now pulsed with barely contained emotion as he waited for my response.
I looked at him. Really looked at him. Beyond the alien physiology and bioluminescent patterns, I saw someone who had fought to protect me, who had respected my questions even when they hurt him, who had promised to take me home despite wanting me to stay.
"I still don't fully trust the Agency or this bond," I admitted, taking a step toward him. "But I trust you, Vylit. Not because of genetic compatibility or biological imperatives, but because of your actions."
His glow brightened instantly, hope radiating from him in literal waves of light that bathed the chamber in golden warmth.
"That is more than I deserve," he said, voice rough with emotion. "And all that I need."
"Please, please don't make me regret my decision." I closed the distance between us, placing my palm against his chest. The bond between us—incomplete but undeniable—pulsed like a living thing.
"I'm still going home when this is over," I warned, needing to assert some control over my fate despite the growing warmth in my chest. "And I still need answers about how this all works."
"All the answers I have are yours," Vylit promised, one massive hand covering mine where it rested against his chest. "Including the path home, when you desire it."
Silvyr cleared his throat with a static-laced sound. "Not to interrupt this touching reconciliation, but Asset P is still out there selling human matches to the highest bidder." His silver fingers manipulated a holographic display. "And now they know we're onto them."
"Let them come," Kazmyr rumbled, Ember Marks flaring with battle-readiness. "I grow tired of running."
I looked up at Vylit, finding unexpected steadiness in his alien gaze. "So what's the plan? Complete our bond and then hunt down the corrupt matchmaker who's been trafficking in genetic material?"
Vylit's mouth curved in what I was learning to recognize as a smile, despite the alienness of his features. "You make it sound simple."
"I'm a marine biologist who's been abducted by aliens, nearly stolen by pirates, and discovered I'm part of a genetic breeding program." I felt my own lips curve in response, the tension between us easing into something almost like normalcy. "Simple would be a nice change of pace."
The Nest Moss puffled happily beneath my feet, responding to our reconciliation with embarrassing enthusiasm. Somehow, in the midst of galaxy-spanning conspiracy and genetic manipulation, the moss's obvious approval made me laugh. A genuine sound that seemed to surprise us all.
Vylit's luminescence responded instantly, pulsing in rhythm with my laughter. The patterns beneath his skin shifted to hues I hadn't seen before.
"We complete the bond," he agreed, his massive hand gently cupping my face. "Not because of genetics or destiny, but because we choose it. Then we hunt Asset P and end this threat to all mates."
His touch sent heat spiraling through me, biology and choice tangling together until I couldn't separate them. Maybe I didn't need to. Maybe the intersection of science and feeling was where the truth lived after all.
"Okay," I agreed, turning my face into his palm. "But I'm not just following you. I can help track Asset P using my knowledge of biological systems."
Vylit's expression softened, his biolights pulsing with what I was beginning to recognize as pride. "I would expect nothing less from my warrior-scientist mate."
The word "mate" still sent conflicting ripples through me, uncertainty and belonging in equal measure. But as I stood in the circle of Vylit's arms, surrounded by his light and warmth, I found myself thinking that maybe, just maybe, being someone's genetic complement wasn't the worst fate in the galaxy.
Especially when that someone was willing to fight pirates, corrupt agencies, and his own biological imperatives to ensure my choice remained my own.
