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THIRTEEN

OLIVIA

I woke up and found myself in Aeon’s strong arms the following morning. Our naked bodies were still perfectly entwined beneath the sheets of his bed. Sunlight filtered through the minimal window coverings, casting his sleeping face in a gentle glow. My heart raced as reality crashed back.

What the hell was I thinking last night?

Seven days. It had been only seven days since he’d appeared in my driveway, sedated me, and brought me here against my will. Yet here I was, willingly wrapped in his arms after a night of... God, it was incredible.

I studied his face in sleep—so relaxed and vulnerable.

Nothing like the calculating commander who’d orchestrated my abduction.

His dark lashes rested against his cheeks, and his normally vigilant expression had softened.

A small scar above his left eyebrow told stories of battlefields I couldn’t imagine.

His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm against mine.

Stockholm syndrome. That’s what this is. Has to be.

But the memories of last night flooded back unbidden. The hungry kisses in the archives room after he comforted me about Ben. The way his hands trembled slightly as they explored my body for the first time. How he’d whispered my name—“Olivia”—with reverence, as if tasting something precious.

“I’ve never done this...” he’d admitted softly in my ear, his voice uncharacteristically uncertain.

I was stunned.

“There hasn’t been anyone who mattered,” he’d breathed against my neck as my naked body pressed against his.

I’d guided him then, shown him what pleased me, and watched in fascination as this powerful man followed my lead with the same precision he applied to everything else.

But he’s my captor. This is wrong on every level.

I shifted slightly, and his arm instinctively tightened around my waist. Even asleep, he was protective. Possessive. It shouldn’t have thrilled me, but it did.

My fingers traced over a long scar that traversed his ribs, feeling the raised tissue beneath my fingertips. What was happening to me? This wasn’t just physical attraction. Something deeper was brewing—something that terrified me more than being kidnapped had.

“This is completely inappropriate,” I whispered to myself, even as I nestled closer to his warmth.

Part of me wanted to slip away before he woke and pretend this hadn’t happened. But another part—the part growing stronger by the day—wanted to be exactly here when those blue eyes opened, and face whatever this was becoming.

Seven days ago, I hated him.

Now? Now I wasn’t sure what I felt. Only that going back to simply being captor and captive seemed impossible.

His breathing changed subtly, and I held my own, not quite ready yet for him to wake. Not ready to see if he’d regret what we’d done.

Several minutes later, I felt Aeon stir beside me.

His arms tightened ever so slightly, as if checking I was still there before his eyes even opened.

When they did, the piercing blue that met mine carried none of the calculation or guardedness I’d grown accustomed to.

Instead, his face broke into a smile so bright and genuine, it caught me completely off guard.

“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice rough with sleep as he traced a finger along my bare shoulder.

My heart performed an embarrassing little flutter. The smile transformed his entire face, softening the hard lines and making him look younger, almost boyish, despite his battle scars and imposing frame.

But then uncertainty flickered across his features. His brow furrowed slightly, and I recognized the look. He was analyzing, processing, and anticipating my reaction. Probably wondering if I regretted what we had done.

Did I?

“I should—” I began and then swallowed hard. “God, I’m starving. Is there breakfast somewhere in this colony of yours?”

His face remained carefully neutral, but something in his eyes dimmed. “Of course. The marketplace opens early.”

We dressed in awkward silence, with careful movements and averted gazes. I pulled on my rumpled scrubs from the night before, painfully aware of how they’d ended up discarded on his floor. He dressed with military precision, but I caught him glancing at me when he thought I wasn’t looking.

“Ready?” he asked, standing by the door, suddenly formal again.

Walking through the colony beside him felt different.

Before, he’d been my escort—my guard. Now, the space between us vibrated with unspoken questions.

The settlement sprawled before us with its sleek buildings nestled among the lush jungle foliage.

The morning air hung heavy with moisture, carrying unfamiliar scents of alien fruits and flora.

“The medical supplies you requested were secured yesterday,” Aeon said as we navigated the growing crowd of the marketplace.

“Good. I’ll need to start training your medical staff immediately.” I latched on to the professional topic like a lifeline. “Particularly on prenatal monitoring. You’re working with insufficient protocols.”

I looked over and caught him staring at me with longing. Heat rose to my cheeks, and I rambled on some more about work.

“I’ll need to see all the pregnant women by the end of the week. And we should establish a rotation system for the medical staff to?—”

“Olivia.” My name on his lips halted my rambling. “You’re deflecting.”

I stared at a vendor’s colorful display of fruits, suddenly fascinated by their unusual shapes. “I’m hungry. That’s all.”

He sighed and then stepped forward to exchange something with the vendor, returning with two purple fruits. “Try this. It’s sweet.”

Our fingers brushed as he handed it to me, and the casual contact sent a ridiculous jolt through my system.

“Thank you,” I mumbled, taking a bite to avoid further conversation. The fruit burst with unexpected sweetness on my tongue.

“About last night—” he started.

“The third trimester complications worry me most,” I interrupted, wiping juice from my chin. “Your facilities aren’t equipped for emergency cesareans.”

His jaw tightened, but he nodded. “We’ll prioritize that equipment.”

Throughout the marketplace, I kept the conversation relentlessly professional. Yet I couldn’t help noticing how Aeon’s gaze softened whenever it landed on me—full of that longing and something else I wasn’t ready to name. Something that made my stomach flip despite all my attempts to ignore it.

We soon strolled toward the medical bay with Aeon walking closer to me than strictly necessary.

The marketplace had thinned as people—humans and cyborgs—went about their daily routines.

I still couldn’t quite wrap my head around how normal everything seemed here.

The few children playing. Adults laughing.

Palm-like trees swaying in the gentle breeze.

If not for the occasional glimpse of advanced technology, it could have been any small settlement on Earth.

The medical bay’s pristine white surfaces gleamed under the artificial lighting as Aeon keyed in the access code. I’d been here before, of course, but now I was entering as a teacher rather than a captive.

“Let’s start with proper examination protocol,” I said, donning the white coat Aeon had procured for me. “Your current methods are... Well, primitive isn’t even the word.”

Aeon’s jaw tightened momentarily, but then his expression softened into something almost sheepish. “We’ve been improvising.”

“Clearly.” I pulled out a manual ultrasound device. “First rule—this isn’t a weapon. You’re holding it like you’re about to stab someone.”

He loosened his grip, those large hands suddenly careful and steady as I guided them into position. “Like this?”

“Better.” Our fingers touched, and I withdrew mine quickly, ignoring the heat that rushed to my cheeks. “Now, the pressure needs to be even but firm. Not too hard.”

As I demonstrated the proper technique on a makeshift medical dummy, I caught Aeon watching me with intense concentration. Something was endearing about how seriously he took every word I said.

“You’re a natural teacher,” he said during a brief pause.

I shrugged. “Ben always said the same thing.” The mention of Ben’s name hung between us. “He believed in you, you know. In all of you.”

Aeon’s eyes met mine. “He gave us more than just code. He gave us a chance.”

My throat tightened. “And look what you’ve built with it. A whole society. Ben would be...” I swallowed hard. “He would be so proud of you all.”

For a moment, we stood in silence, the weight of Ben’s sacrifice filling the space between us.

“I still plan on going back home, Aeon,” I said finally, needing to clear the air. “But while I’m here, I’ll teach you everything I know. These women and children deserve proper care.”

Something flickered across his face—relief, gratitude, and something deeper that made my heart skip. “Thank you, Olivia.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” I handed him the ultrasound wand. “Your turn. Show me what you’ve learned.”

As he confidently positioned the wand, I allowed myself a small smile.

Maybe this wasn’t what I had chosen, but I was needed here right now.

For Ben. For these expectant mothers. And maybe, in some small way I wasn’t ready to admit, for the determined man beside me whose large hands betrayed a gentleness I would’ve never expected.