Page 33

RIVERA

T he workshop buzzed with a unique energy—the focused hum of Nyxari working with living crystal alongside the sharp tang of ozone from my salvaged human power converters. For the past week, I'd thrown myself into the shield generator repair project, finding solace in the familiar logic of circuits and energy flows. It was easier than processing the chaos of the past month.

"The resonance matrix aligns," I confirmed, making a final adjustment to the focusing crystal Varek had explained. "But the power coupling needs a dampener. The human tech pulses energy; Nyxari tech flows. We need a buffer."

Keth, the Nyxari artisan I'd been paired with, examined my modification with interest. His lifelines, intricate patterns of deep bronze against dark brown skin, pulsed faintly as he assessed the energy signature. "Your solution is... unconventional," he said, the translation stone clipped to his tunic relaying the words. "Yet the energy balance appears stable. It may function."

"It'll function," I replied, securing the final connection. Working with Keth was a study in contrasts. He shaped crystalline components with intuitive grace, sensing flaws and strengths through his lifelines, while I relied on schematics, calculations, and trial-and-error modifications. Yet, somehow, our approaches meshed. We were learning a new language together—one of hybrid technology.

Project complete for the day, I cleaned my tools, the routine motions soothing. Finding purpose here, using my skills, had been crucial. It anchored me, gave me something solid to hold onto when memories of the explosion or thoughts of Zara threatened to overwhelm me.

I stopped by the healing chambers on my way back to my quarters. Claire was awake, sitting propped up against cushions, sipping broth Selene offered her. The vacant look was gone from her eyes, replaced by a weary awareness. Her markings remained faint, barely visible silver traceries at her wrists, but they were present.

"," she greeted me, her voice weak but clear.

"Hey." I pulled up a stool, keeping my tone light. "Heard you were awake. Giving Selene and Kavan a run for their money?"

Claire managed a weak smile. "They're taking good care of me." Her gaze drifted around the chamber, taking in the softly glowing walls, the quiet efficiency of the Nyxari healers. "It's... different here."

"Different good, I hope."

She nodded slowly. "I remember... fragments. Hammond. The lab. The pain." A shudder ran through her. "And Varek... he was there."

"He got us out," I confirmed. "Both of us."

We sat in silence for a moment, the shared trauma an unspoken presence between us. I didn't press her for details, just offered quiet companionship until Selene shooed me out, insisting Claire needed rest.

Leaving the chambers, I almost collided with Varek. He moved with less stiffness now, the healing compounds and his natural Nyxari resilience accelerating his recovery.

"Becca." His voice was a low rumble that sent an unexpected shiver down my spine. "I was just..." He seemed momentarily unsure, a rare occurrence for the stoic warrior.

"Heading back from the workshop," I supplied. "Shield generator interface is ready for testing tomorrow."

"Good." He fell into step beside me as we walked toward the settlement's central area. "Your work is proving valuable."

"Just doing my job." We walked in comfortable silence for a few moments, the bond between us a quiet hum of awareness. It wasn't the overwhelming psychic connection Mirelle described with Lazrin, or the intuitive medical link Selene shared with Kavan. Ours felt... grounded. A shared understanding built on mutual respect and the undeniable fact that we'd saved each other's lives multiple times.

"How are the injuries?" I asked, nodding toward his bandaged side.

"Healing." He glanced at me. "Kavan's skills are formidable. As are Selene's."

"They make a good team," I agreed.

We reached the entrance to my dwelling—a simple, functional space assigned to me near the workshops. I hesitated at the threshold.

"Thanks... for the consult yesterday," I said. "On the schematics."

"My knowledge is available if it aids the settlement's defense," he replied formally. But his eyes held a different message, a warmth that belied the stiff words.

The air between us thickened. The memory of our escape, the shared danger, the moments of unexpected closeness—it all converged in this quiet moment. He hadn't pushed, hadn't pressured me since our return, respecting the unspoken need for space as we both processed the trauma. But the connection remained, undeniable.

"Varek," I began, then stopped, unsure how to bridge the gap.

He solved the problem for me, stepping closer, his larger frame filling my doorway. His hand came up, calloused fingers gently tracing the silver markings that curled near my temple—markings that had become more prominent since the escape.

"These grow brighter each day," he murmured, his gaze intense. "You are... adapting."

"Or being assimilated," I countered, though the words lacked their former heat.

"Never." His certainty was absolute. "You remain . Enhanced, perhaps. Changed, yes. But fundamentally yourself." His thumb brushed my cheekbone, sending sparks along my nerves. "Fierce. Resourceful. Stubborn."

A reluctant smile touched my lips. "You forgot annoying."

"That too," he conceded, a ghost of a smile in his own eyes.

The space between us vanished. His other hand found my waist, pulling me against his solid warmth. I tilted my head back, meeting his descending kiss. It wasn't hesitant or exploratory; it was a reunion, a reaffirmation. His lips were firm, demanding, yet held an underlying tenderness that made my knees weak.

My hands slid up his chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath his tunic, the steady beat of his heart against my palm. Our markings flared, silver and gold light mingling where we touched. The bond hummed, amplifying sensation, erasing the memory of pain and fear, replacing it with immediate, urgent need.

He deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with mine, tasting, claiming. A low growl rumbled in his chest, a primal sound that sent heat pooling low in my belly. I pressed against him, needing more, needing all of him.

His hand slid down my back, cupping my ass, lifting me slightly. I wrapped my legs around his waist instinctively, locking myself against him. He backed me into the dwelling, kicking the door membrane closed with his foot without breaking the kiss.

The air crackled with shared desire. He lowered me onto the sleeping platform, his body covering mine. His weight felt solid, reassuring. His golden eyes burned down at me, filled with an intensity that stole my breath.

"Becca," he rasped, his hand sliding between my thighs, finding me already wet.

"Varek," I answered, arching into his touch.

His fingers slipped inside me, stretching me, preparing me. I gasped, my markings flaring brightly. His tail, that unexpected, prehensile appendage, curled around my calf, its tip tracing teasing circles against the sensitive skin behind my knee. The alien sensation sent shockwaves of pleasure through me.

"Tell me what you want," he commanded, his voice thick with desire.

"You," I choked out. "Now."

He needed no further encouragement. He positioned himself, the thick ridges of his arousal pressing against my entrance. I lifted my hips, guiding him, taking him deep in one smooth motion. I cried out as he filled me, the sensation overwhelming, stretching me, completing me.

He began to move, slow, deep thrusts that made the world dissolve into pure sensation. His tail tightened around my calf, then slid higher, wrapping around my thigh, pulling my leg up to allow for a deeper angle. The change was electric, hitting a spot deep inside that made me see stars.

"Like that?" he growled, sensing my reaction through the bond.

"Yes," I gasped, clinging to his shoulders.

His pace increased, each thrust driving me harder against the furs. His tail moved, the tip finding the bundle of nerves at my entrance, circling, pressing, adding another layer to the building pressure. My markings blazed, silver light pulsing in rhythm with his thrusts, illuminating the chamber.

I felt his control slipping, his movements becoming more primal, more demanding. His teeth grazed the sensitive skin of my neck, not painfully, but possessively. The feral edge ignited something reciprocal within me. I raked my nails down his back, rewarded by his sharp intake of breath and the flare of golden light from his lifelines.

"Varek!" His name was a plea, a demand, as release coiled tight within me.

His tail pressed harder against my clit as he drove deep one final time. Pleasure exploded through me, blinding, shattering. My climax ripped through me, my body convulsing around him. My release triggered his own—a guttural roar tore from his throat as he pulsed inside me, hot and heavy, our shared pleasure echoing through the bond in overwhelming waves.

Afterward, we lay tangled together, slick with sweat, our breathing harsh in the quiet room. His tail remained curled around my thigh, a possessive anchor. Our markings pulsed with a soft, synchronized silver-gold light.

He rolled onto his side, pulling me against his chest, his hand stroking my hair. "Better?" he asked, his voice returning to its normal rumble.

"Much," I admitted, tracing the healed energy burn scar on his side. "You?"

"Considerably." He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Rest now. You've earned it."

Curled against him, listening to the steady beat of his heart, I finally felt the tension of the past weeks begin to ease. We had survived. We had found each other again. Outside, the settlement hummed with activity—Nyxari and humans working together, building something new from the wreckage of the old. Challenges remained—Hammond's uncertain fate, Claire's recovery, the mystery of the ruins and the markings. But since the crash, looking forward didn't feel quite so terrifying. It felt like possibility.