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CHAPTER FIVE

It was the middle of the night, the stars casting their faint illumination down upon the slumbering planet, their milky glow akin to the bioluminescence sometimes seen in bodies of water. It was beautiful, and in her exhaustion, Maria was sleeping right through it.

Zepharos, however, was quite awake.

He’d roused when the human woman in his arms snuggled back into him, her ass pressing up into his crotch as she absorbed his warmth in the chilly night air.

For a moment his body reacted as it was accustomed, his manhood swelling quick and hard before his senses kicked in and he realized what was happening.

Oh , he thought, pulling himself out of the primal instinct way of thinking that had been responsible for its fair share of truly delightful adventures, as well as more than a few run-ins with jealous partners and protective guardians.

That wasn’t who he was anymore. It was hard work becoming a better man, pun very much intended, but he was giving it his all.

The visceral pull of the woman in his arms was not making it any easier.

Just think about something else, he reminded himself, taking several slow, deep breaths and focusing on the sounds of the world until he could almost pick out individual gusts of wind by their tones whooshing in the distance.

It took a while, but slowly the roused beast between his legs returned to its slumber.

Its owner, on the other hand, remained very much awake.

Maria’s head was just beneath his chin, the much larger man enveloping the smaller woman with his mass, protecting her as he held her close.

He breathed her in, the natural smell of her sweat and pheromones filling his nose with a scent he couldn’t help but find delightful.

He felt a stirring below the belt and once again forced it back down.

Of course I like her, he chided himself .

I certainly do have a type, that’s undeniable.

She’s beautiful, and she has quite a wit.

I’ve always had a weak spot for clever women, even when I was younger.

And she’s quite a fighter, this one, and has been nothing but brave in the face of danger and unknown perils.

And let’s not forget that though we have only just met, and in rather unusual circumstances at that, so far, she has been an enjoyable companion.

Not all would have adapted to this sort of thing as smoothly as she did, and that really does say a lot for her.

Shit, don’t let yourself go getting all attached, Zeph.

His mind told him one thing, but his body wanted quite another, and Maria’s steady heartbeat thumping against him threatened to wake the beast yet again, but he focused on the vibration of it rather than who it belonged to, counting the beats, slow and relaxed as she slept.

He’d been a player for so many years that it was utterly novel to not make any moves on a woman in his arms. But things had changed for him not so long ago.

A visceral event that had shaken him to the core.

Zepharos had been Infala bonded, and it had been so powerful an occurrence that it changed him forever.

He was a ladies’ man. A womanizer, to be fair.

He’d have fun, but the thought of Infala bonding?

It was something he’d never even considered for himself.

And even if it had, he had no idea just how intense the bond would actually be.

The binding of two beings, their lives and souls intertwined by the living pigment powered by the energy of the galaxy tying them together for life.

It was just some fairy tale in his mind.

Nothing could be so intense. But when it had happened to him, the sheer magnitude of what he’d felt turned his world view upside-down.

That alone would have been enough to perhaps change who he was.

But having the Infala bond shattered in a way none thought possible did even more so.

Yeah. That was bad , he thought, the unwanted memory intruding in his head in a flash, very much killing any arousal he’d been feeling, which was useful given his efforts, but it had certainly not been in a way he particularly wanted to experience. This was a bad memory. This one hurt .

The thing was, being Infala bonded and then having lost that feeling made him almost like an addict who had no way to get that high again. Infala bonding was rare, and its feeling was one he desperately missed.

Sure, he played it off as best he could, returning to his former ways.

Or, at least trying to. But things had changed, and there was simply no going back for Zepharos.

After so many years of conquests around the planet, he now found that paradigm stale and lacking.

Boring, even. The eternal bachelor craved something he never thought he’d even consider, let alone desire.

He wanted a mate.

He’d briefly been interested in another woman, a rebound of sorts, and that had gone horribly sideways for him as well. Even his attempts at being a better man seemed to be stymied by the universe’s cruel sense of humor.

Now you’re dwelling , he grumbled to himself, catching his negative feedback loop.

Remember what Rohanna said. The elder’s advice was sound.

Heal yourself and do not force it, and one day, perhaps, I’ll be blessed with a mate.

And when I’m not actively seeking one. I don’t know about all of that, but I suppose she’s right.

I already learned that the hard way. Some things you just have to wait for, and no amount of effort will change that.

Zepharos gently pressed his face to Maria’s head.

She’s running hot , he realized, the top of her head radiating heat as people sometimes did in their sleep.

She twitched slightly in his arms. Ah, dreams. I wonder what adventures you’re enjoying in there.

Whatever they are, sleep well and deep, Maria.

You are safe with me. I will protect you no matter what.

I have a lot to make up for, and it begins with you.

It was hard to accept just how much of a shit he’d been in his prior days, but that was part of the process.

He was putting in the work to be a better man, and he would fall into those old patterns no more.

This was a new day. A new life. And right now, his priority was protecting this woman.

Protecting her without ulterior motive. A novel concept for him, sure, but one he had taken to heart.

Unfortunately, what he’d seen of her bare flesh while he’d massaged away her aches and pains had set something in motion.

Something he had no choice but to address.

He knew what he had to do, but he would not tell her of the problem.

There was no sense in worrying her when they were out on their own with no way to rectify the issue.

But a problem it was, and a very serious one at that.

He’d seen her body. Her supple flesh. Her beautiful breasts.

And, of course, he’d liked what he saw. But it wasn’t her curves that had concerned him.

It was the pigment marking her chest. Her Infala.

He was no expert, but he’d seen his share of them, and it was readily apparent even to him. Her runes were incomplete.

Oh, it was a very subtle thing, and short of an up-close-and- personal examination, as he’d been afforded during her massage, no one would likely notice the few crucial lines that were missing.

But those would keep not only her Infala from properly growing, but it also prevented her other runes from connecting.

Maria was operating at a handicap despite possessing the runes, and that was a problem.

More than that, it was a violation of the law, and if the Dotharians should discover her in this state, she would face their wrath, and the penalties for incomplete runes were nearly as stiff as for lacking them.

I will get that taken care of as well , he silently pledged, committed to Maria’s safety no matter what that might entail.

Dedicated to this new way of thinking. This new way of existing as not a user and taker but as a protector.

And after doing just that, embracing his role and stealing this woman away from the ruling elites overseeing the Husken Games, he’d better be, because even if he wanted to, there was no way his life would ever go back to what it was.