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The hover bed pulsed with a gentle hiss as his body acclimated to the regenerative stasis cycle.

With slow patience, she brought a spoon to his lips, letting him swallow the last of a nutrient gel pack.

‘Hell, its pure piss paste.’

‘Don’t grumble, handsome. It’s helping with your recuperation.’

‘Fokkthis shit.’

‘Who thought you’d be so mouthy when unwell?’

She smirked at his defiance. The man was still too weak to fight, yet strong enough to complain.

Her hand smoothed the curve of his jaw as she adjusted the webbed gel cast around his ribs.

He winced but caught her wrist when she lifted away.

‘Try not to start another war without me,’ he rasped.

She smiled, bent close, and brushed her lips over his brow. ‘Just wrapping up the last one. I love you.’

‘Te amo, mi reina. Come back to me as fast as you can. I’ll miss you morning, afternoon, and night.’

‘I’ll be counting the seconds.’

She blew a kiss at him, heart already aching as she strode away from him, hating that she had to be away from him for a few days.

Savvine stepped out of Xander’s recovery room, tugging her jacket tighter as the cool air conditioning draft wafted over her.

The corridor was quiet, except for the monitors’ soft beep echoing from other cubicles.

She had half an hour before she departed for theEterna, and she needed to change.

A flicker of movement caught her attention as she tracked past the room adjacent to Xander’s.

She paused.

Inside, beneath the pale lighting, was a broad-chested man, half-bandaged, thick cords of muscle resting against sterile white sheets.

Violet hair hung past his jaw in uneven waves. A scar slashed diagonally through his left eyeball like a clawed warning.

Bone.

He was awake, upright, and staring at her as if he sensed her approach.

Before she could stop herself, her boots whispered over the threshold.

She hovered beside the bed. ‘You healing alright?’

He gave her no reply, just that steady, unreadable stare, like a storm biding its time.

She cleared her throat, suddenly aware of the tension coiling between them. ‘I’m sure Santi or Kaal shared our appreciation for saving Xander and our collective asses.’

Still nothing. Just more of that piercing gaze, eyes narrowed on her, scorching her skin.

Nonplussed, she waved her hand in farewell. ‘I’ll let you rest now.’

She swiveled to go, and a guttural growl came from behind her.