Page 54 of Fated to the Hunter
It required me to massage her arm twice a day, but I was more than happy to do that. The massage rarely stayed on her arm, however, and it usually ended with me inside her and her screaming my name. She claimed it was the best medicine.
But despite the joy I felt in my heart every time we touched, the mate bond never triggered.
Kiera was not my mate.
And Krux, that truth hurt more than any wound I’d ever taken on the battlefield.
We’d traveled here by shuttle last night, and spent the darkest hours before dawn in the hunting cabin I’d claimed as my own. Then, at first light, we’d made our way to the final set of coordinates.
The vault lock had required a power source, and after some searching, we found the solar panels attached to it and cleared out the dust and debris. Then all we had to do was wait. It was high noon now, and the keypad on the door glowed with a tiny green light.
The final part of the mission was going too fast. It felt too easy after what we’d been through. Victory was close enough to taste, but instead of triumph, I felt a gnawing emptiness in my chest. A hollow ache that only grew stronger with each step forward.
Soon, Kiera would have her prize. And I’d have my glory. The stories of my battles were already spreading, twisted into unbelievable legends that even I could not recognize. No amount of correction could stop the stories from ballooning out of control. They were calling me a hero.
None of that mattered anymore. The title of best fighter meant nothing without my Wildfire by my side.
Once the coveted hard drives were in her hands and we returned home, there would be no reason for her to stay with me. She’d told me that very first day that she wasn’t looking for a mate. I’d accepted it, because I hadn’t been either.
But now?
Now I didn’t want to let her go.
I wanted to claim her. Keep her.
My shuttle would be so lonely without her.
Kiera stepped up to the vault door, her fingers steady as she entered the code. The panel blinked green, and the heavy lock disengaged with a hiss. Inside, nestled in a clear protective case, were her treasures.
She hesitated, running a hand through her hair. “I’m almost afraid to pick it up.”
“Then I will be your hands.” I picked up the case. It was light, weighing almost nothing at all. This was the treasure we’d come so far to retrieve? I handed it to her.
She held the container up and stared at the contents for a few seconds before cradling the whole thing to her chest. It started as a soft huff, then grew until she was laughing… or was she crying? I couldn’t tell.
“We did it.” She turned to me. “We did it. We fucking did it!”
She put the box down, then threw herself at me, her arms wrapping around my neck. I pulled her close, instinct overriding thought. Her body pressed against mine, soft and warm, and I buried my face in her hair, breathing her in.
“Thank you, Bael’k. Thank you for everything.” She let out a sob.
“You are unhappy.”
“No, I’m happy,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “Just, not for the reasons I expected.” She sniffled, blinking fast. “The hard drives matter, sure. They could hold everything we need, or they could be junk. We won’t know until we crack them open.”
She looked up at me, eyes shining. “But even if they’re worthless, I’d still be happy, because we made it. We survived. And we did this together. You showed me that I have the strength in me to do what has to be done. To stand up and make a difference. And more importantly, you showed me that the world is still worth fighting for. I don’t want to cling to and save a past that was lost anymore. I want to build something better: a future.”
I lifted a hand to wipe the tears that had spilled over and were tracking down the side of her face.
But my hands refused to move. My arms locked around her, muscles tensed as something inside me quietly but violently shifted. And I knew. I knew I couldn’t, wouldn’t, let her go.
“Kiera. My mate.”
Her fingers curled around the strap of my harness. “I feel it,” she said, voice trembling.
“You do?”
“Yes. This wasn’t what I was looking for, but it’s what I found. I think it’s what I need. I love you, Bael’k. You give me the courage to be everything I want to be.”
