Page 36 of Claimed By the Vykan
It was arousal.
No—something beyond arousal.
She had never felt anything so potent, so total. It was like being caught in the slipstream of her own heartbeat, dragged under by sensations she couldn’t outrun.
Is this his venom?
She clutched the sheets, nails digging into the fabric. She couldn’t think. Every thought fractured under a surge of heat and ache and restlessness. Her body moved of its own accord, hips shifting, breath hitching.
Her pulse stuttered. She bit down on her lip, trying to steady herself, but the moment she imagined his voice—Come—the sensation tore through her again, so overwhelming she almost cried out.
She felt drunk, drugged, and yet hyper-aware of her own body in a way that bordered on unbearable.
She squeezed her eyes shut.No. Don’t give in. Don’t?—
The door slid open.
Morgan jerked upright, clutching the sheets to her chest.
Raeska entered with the same serene, gliding steps as always, but her eyes widened slightly.
“Morgan of Earth,” she said softly, the translator echoing her voice. “You are unwell.”
Morgan shook her head quickly. “No—yes—I don’t know.” Her voice broke. “Something’s happening to me. I feel—” Shame and desperation twisted together. “Tell me what’s happening.”
Raeska approached the bed slowly, as if Morgan were a wounded creature. She reached out, but did not touch her—only studied her with a quiet, knowing calm.
“It has begun,” Raeska murmured.
“‘It?’” Morgan whispered. “What does that mean? What has begun?”
Raeska’s expression softened in a way Morgan hadn’t yet seen.
“The change. The resonance between you and our Vykan. It is rare, but with a Vykan of his potency, the response is predictable.”
Morgan’s heart lurched. “This is because of him? Because he—because he breathed on me?”
“Yes.”
Morgan trembled. “I feel like I’m burning.”
“You are adjusting to his venom,” Raeska replied. “It is potent for all species. Even the Saelori. For a human—it is overwhelming at first.”
Morgan swallowed hard. “Will it kill me?”
“No,” Raeska said. “You will survive. You have already proven your strength by standing in his presence. And you are his now. His venom recognizes you.”
Morgan pressed a trembling hand to her forehead. “This is insane.”
“Perhaps,” Raeska conceded, tilting her head. “But it is truth.”
Morgan drew a shaky breath. “Tell me everything. Please.”
Raeska lowered herself onto the edge of the bed, her movements precise and gentle. “The Saelori bond in three ways—physical, psychic, and pheromonal. The Vykan have these traits in a rarer, more potent form. Their venom marks, transforms, and connects. It will heighten your senses. Strengthen your emotions. It may attune your body to his presence.”
Morgan stared, wide-eyed. “Attune?”
“Yes.” Raeska’s voice was soft, certain. “You will feel him, even at a distance. His state of mind. His approach. His need. Eventually, the venom’s effects will lessen, because your body will adapt. You will become the one being in the universe who can withstand his full presence.”
