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“I have something to share with you.” Payim pulled her close, adoration swimming in his dark eyes.

“If it’s another plate of brownies, I think I’m full.” She beamed at him.

“No,” he chuckled.

He spun her around to face the wall, and she gasped. The most glorious sunset was projected over the entire wall.

Payim leaned in, his face nuzzling her hair until his lips found the shell of her ear. “This is Cadi. My home. Your home.”

The sky was violet, the horizon emblazoned in reds and golds, arresting her with its beauty, yet at the same time seizing her heart. Beneath a sunset like this, she first told Payim she loved him and he made her his. He was keeping his promise of sharing many sunsets together.

“Thank you for finding me,” Elena murmured.

“It was you who found me.” He kissed the top of her head. “And you have given me everything I could ever want in life.”

She heard the catch in his voice and it brought tears to her eyes.

“Found among the lost,” she repeated the meaning of his name. “I have loved finding us.”

“I love you, my beautiful warrior.”

Payim spun her around again and his lips descended on hers as he clasped her tight. The sweetness of it shattered her heart and rebuilt it again. She pulled in a breathy sigh as he undressed her. It wasn’t urgent or hurried. Like her, he wanted to savor this moment. She returned the favor, her hands smoothing over the warm skin of his rugged abdomen, memorizing the texture as she peeled off his kilt.

He walked her to the bed, and eased her onto the mattress. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he stretched out above her, sheltering her in his strong arms. Payim had rescued her from Hell, and as the sun dipped below the painted horizon, he took her to heaven, where they’d find each other all over again.

EPILOGUE

Scala

The pale-haired female slowed and scowled back at him. “Stop following me!” she snapped, then started running faster.

Scala continued jogging. Despite the female’s stoic expression and sheer determination to accomplish whatever was driving her, he recognized she was afraid, but the female was too important to let slip through his fingers. Although, he did keep his distance, not wanting to add to her distress. The fact that she was human swayed him. Human females were all so petite and delicate looking. Human or not, she had undoubtedly been through a lot. He had witnessed what the Jurou Biljana did to the people they enslaved.

They continued down the garbage disposal passage. Scala picked up the pace as he spotted her heading toward a door. The combat shell added to his burst of speed. He grabbed the door just before it slammed shut.

“Fucking hell!” the pale-haired female growled in anger as she took off down the main corridor.

Before he could take off after her, footsteps echoed in the hallway behind him. Scala was grateful he was wearing his disguise as he spun toward the approaching reptile.

“Halt!” the Jurou Biljana hissed.

He heard the female stop behind him and looked back at her. She glanced at him and it was obvious she was debating what to do. He tilted his head and maintained eye contact.

Don’t betray me,he silently conveyed before looking back at the reptile.

“I’m getting something for the Vicarius,” the female stated.

The Jurou Biljana huffed and nodded to her, obviously familiar with the female, then turned his gaze to Scala.

“I’m with her. We’re in a hurry,” Scala replied and he heard the female groan behind him.

“There are intruders. Did you see anything?” the male demanded.

“Is that why I had to go through the trash route?” the female tersely replied.

“No. We must go,” Scala added.

It was risky turning away from the reptile, but he was betting the male trusted their story. He glanced at the little human female as he caught up with her. She could’ve instantly outed him but didn’t. Although from the way she glared at him as they started walking, she still wasn’t amused by his presence.