Page 88 of Seeded By Two

“Listen,” he said firmly. “They’re going to take me so you can go free. But I do not trust these creatures to keep their word. The moment I leave this pod, the doors will shut and the automatic launch procedure will begin. A distress signal will be launched. You will wait to be rescued. Do you understand? You will be safe.”

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around him. “I don’t want to be safe! I want to be with you!”

“I’m sorry,” Feon said, forcing an emotional stone wall between us. “I wish for that, too. For us all to be together and happy forever… but we have to deal with the situation before us. We cannot hope for one we do not have.”

I wanted to argue further but he jammed his lips on mine, making me melt.

It was a wet, hot kiss, distracted, with me pulling back and trying to fight.

I couldn’t enjoy it.

Not with the taste of my tears on my lips and the knowledge he was soon going to leave me.

“They shall have us,” he announced. “But they shall not have you.”

Before I could stop him, he grabbed me and placed me on one of the chairs.

He strapped me in and, to ensure I did not try to escape, tied a knot in the fabric so I couldn’t get out.

“Don’t do this!” I screamed. “Please! Don’t leave me here!”

“You are all that matters,” he repeated.

His face was as hard and unreadable as a statue’s.

It was his way to protect himself, I realized.

But I had no such shield.

I felt every last whisper of pain at being separated from him and Aslas.

“So long as you survive, nothing else matters,” he repeated to himself.

He tapped a few more keys on the control desk and a big red button appeared from somewhere in the console.

He placed his fist over it and turned to me.

“Please…” I said.

I didn’t want to make it any harder than it already was for him… but I didn’t want to lose him — I didn't want to lose them both!

“No matter what happens, remember always that we love you more than life itself and would do anything to keep you safe.”

He slammed his fist on the big red button.

He bent down to kiss me on the forehead one last time before he strode through the door and the huge, hulking, ugly tusked creatures snorted excitedly and snatched him outside.

He turned to look back at me over his shoulder for the last time as the creatures dragged him away.

His glaring determined eyes were the last thing I saw of him before the door slammed shut and a red light blinked.

“Launch in T-Minus five seconds,” a computerized voice said. “Five…”

“No!” I bellowed.

If my fated mates were going to be under these evil creatures’ control, then I would be too!

“Four…”

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