Page 24

Islae

Sunlight filtered through the safe house’s small window as Islae pulled her worn tunic over her head. Behind her, Nirrn’s powerful tail made a soft whisper against the worn floor as he rose up from the cot.

“You’re thinking too hard,” he said, his rich, deep voice filling their tiny room. She turned around and his eyes locked intently onto hers with that burning intensity that made her heart flutter.

“My father spent his whole life helping people here on Jorvla.” Her fingers trembled slightly as she adjusted her clothes. “Leaving feels like abandoning everything he worked so hard for.”

Nirrn’s muscled torso flexed as he reached for her, pulling her against his chest. The scales along his shoulders felt smooth beneath her palms. “Your father would want you alive and thriving.”

“But Nirum will be so different,” she said, tracing the line where his scales met skin. “What if—”

“No.” He coiled protectively around her legs. “You will be safe there and live the life you deserve. I will make sure of it.”

The possessive edge in his voice made her shiver. This was the same male who’d torn through the Jorvlen stronghold to save her, who’d transformed from healer to warrior for her sake. Her mate.

The mate bond pulsed in her blood. The recent discovery of Nirrn as her true mate was still very new and thrilling to her.

Each touch from him sent fresh sparks through her body, making her understand why she had been drawn to him from the start.

His presence filled a void she hadn’t known existed until she met him.

“I never thought I’d have this,” she admitted, pressing closer to his warmth. “Someone who—”

“Who would kill for you?” His hand cupped her face. “Who would die for you?” His thumb brushed her lower lip. “Who belongs to you as much as you belong to me?”

Her heart raced at the raw truth in his words. The mate bond pulsed stronger, and she could feel his determination to keep her safe, his need to protect her at any cost.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Then trust in that.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “Trust in us.”

Islae stepped into the safe house’s main chamber, her fingers intertwined with Nirrn’s.

The room smelled of earth and metal, illuminated by strips of artificial lighting that cast long shadows across the worn concrete floors.

Nirrn’s tail whispered against the concrete as he moved beside her, his powerful body coiled protectively near her.

A man emerged from the shadows—tall and lean, with a jagged scar running from his left temple to his jaw. His eyes held a familiar determination that made her chest tighten with recognition.

“Islae Raelle,” he said, extending his hand. “I’m Tyrus. Your work in the slums… it gave our people hope.”

Nirrn’s scales rippled with tension, but Islae squeezed his hand reassuringly. “You knew of my clinic?”

“Knew of it? Your father started that tradition over twenty years ago, before the Jorvlens…” Tyrus’s voice trailed off, his scarred face tightening. “Before they took him from us. You carried on his legacy well. Every human in the underground knows the name Raelle.”

Tears pricked at Islae’s eyes. She hadn’t heard anyone speak of her father in years. Nirrn’s arm slid around her waist, steadying her.

“The Jorvlens may have burned your clinic,” Tyrus continued, “but they can’t destroy what you built. What you taught us.” He straightened his shoulders. “We have healers, supplies, and safe houses. We’ll continue what you and your father started.”

“You’ll need to be careful,” Islae said, her voice thick with emotion. “The Jorvlens—”

“Can go to hell,” Tyrus interrupted with a fierce grin. “We learned from the best how to stay hidden and how to help our people. Your father showed us the way, and you proved it could be done.”

Nirrn’s deep voice rumbled. “You understand the risks?”

“Better than most.” Tyrus gestured to his scar. “Some things are worth dying for.”

The weight that had been pressing on Islae’s chest since her clinic burned down began to lift. Her father’s dream, her mission—it wouldn’t die with her departure from Jorvla. The human underground network would ensure their people weren’t forgotten.

She looked up at Nirrn, seeing the fierce pride in his golden eyes.

This powerful Niri male had changed everything about himself to protect her, to love her, and to give her the life she truly deserved.

Her true mate. And now she could leave with him for Nirum, knowing her father’s legacy would live on.

“Thank you,” she whispered to Tyrus, meaning it with every fiber of her being.

Tyrus’s weathered face broke into a knowing smile. “Kackjin’s ship leaves in two hours. He’s agreed to take you both to Nirum.”

Relief suddenly flooded through Islae’s body. They soon would be off this corrupt planet and on Nirrn’s peaceful planet. Beside her, Nirrn shifted.

“You risked everything to help us,” Nirrn said, his deep voice resonating through the small space. “We owe you.”

Tyrus waved off the gratitude. “Just keep her safe on Nirum. That’s payment enough.”

The journey to the spaceport passed in tense silence. Islae’s heart raced as they approached Kackjin’s ship—a sleek vessel with worn edges that spoke of countless missions.

The green-scaled warrior waited at the boarding ramp, his scarred face impassive. He nodded once at Nirrn, a gesture of respect between males who had fought together.

Inside the ship, Nirrn guided Islae to the viewport, his powerful body coiling protectively around her. His scaled chest pressed against her back as the engines rumbled to life.

“Having second thoughts?” he murmured, his breath hot against her ear.

Islae watched as Jorvla’s grimy surface fell away beneath them. The sprawling planet where she had spent her entire life fighting and healing and surviving grew smaller with each passing second.

“No,” she whispered, surprising herself with the truth of it. “For the first time, I’m not running away from something. I’m running toward something instead.”

Nirrn’s arms tightened around her waist, his scales smooth against her skin. “Toward what?”

She turned in his embrace, meeting those intense golden eyes that had captured her from the start. “Toward you. Toward us. Toward a life where I don’t have to hide or fight just to exist.”

His hands cupped her face, his thumbs tracing her cheekbones with surprising gentleness. “You will never have to hide again. On Nirum, you will be my mate, my equal.”

His possessive growl sent shivers down her spine. Her mate and her equal, who now promised her a future she had never dared to dream of—a future filled with peace and happiness.

Jorvla’s atmosphere burned orange behind them as the ship broke orbit. Islae gripped Nirrn’s hand, watching her past fade into the star-filled darkness of space. For once, the unknown didn’t frighten her. Not with Nirrn’s powerful presence wrapped around her, promising protection, love, and home.

The door to their private chamber soon hissed shut, sealing them in a cocoon of silence save for the faint hum of the ship’s engines.

Nirrn’s eyes locked on hers, burning with that familiar intensity that sent a shiver through her.

Before she could speak, he pressed her against the wall, his powerful frame towering over her.

His hands cradled her face, his touch firm but tender, and then his lips crashed against hers in a kiss that stole her breath.

The kiss was all-consuming, searing and leaving her lightheaded.

His tongue swept into her mouth, claiming her with a possessiveness that made her knees weak.

She moaned into him, her hands fumbling with the clasp of his tunic, desperate to feel more of him.

He pulled back just long enough to yank the fabric over his head, revealing the broad expanse of his scaled chest and the smooth, taut muscle of his abdomen.

Her fingers traced the line where his scales changed to smooth skin, marveling at the contrast.

“Nirrn…” Her voice came out uneven, barely a whisper.

“Islae,” he growled against her lips, his hands already working to rid her of her clothing.

His fingers were deft, and within moments she stood bare before him, her skin prickling under the heat of his gaze.

His eyes roamed over her, golden and predatory, and she felt a flush of pleasure at the way he looked at her—like she was everything he had ever wanted.

He coiled his tail around her legs, drawing her closer until their bodies were flush. The heat of his scales against her bare skin sent a jolt through her, and she gasped as his hands slid down her back. “On the bed,” he breathed, his voice low and rough against her ear.

She obeyed without hesitation, her heart pounding as she climbed onto the narrow bed. He followed, his movements deliberate as he positioned himself on his back. “Straddle me,” he instructed, his eyes never leaving hers.

Islae hesitated for only a moment before settling over him, her thighs trembling as she felt the hard length of his primary member pressing against her entrance.

She lowered herself slowly, gasping as he filled her, inch by inch, until she was seated fully atop him.

The sensation was overwhelming—hot, stretching, and perfect.

“Ride me,” he growled, his voice thick with need, his hands gripping her hips.

She obeyed, rolling her hips in a slow, deliberate rhythm that made him groan.

His hands tightened on her, guiding her as she moved, his tail curling around her waist to hold her steady.

The deep, guttural sounds he made with every thrust sent a thrill through her.

She leaned forward, her hands braced against his scaled chest, letting the angle drive him deeper.

“Nirrn,” she gasped, her breath hitching as pleasure coiled tightly in her belly.

“Feel me inside you,” he rasped. “Feel how much I want you.”

Her rhythm faltered as the pleasure built, her movements becoming urgent, almost frantic.

He met her thrust for thrust, his strong tail tightening around her as he pulled her down harder and faster.

The world narrowed to the two of them, to the heat of his body beneath hers, to the sound of their ragged breathing mingling in the small, enclosed space.

“Islae,” he growled again, his voice strained, and she felt his control slipping, his thrusts becoming deeper and more desperate.

Her vision blurred as the tension in her body snapped.

She cried out as waves of pleasure crashed over her, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Beneath her, Nirrn let out a guttural roar.

His tail curled tighter around her as he thrust deep into her one final time, his seed flooding her as he held her close to his chest.

For a long moment, they stayed like that, their bodies still joined, their breaths ragged and uneven. Islae rested her forehead against his chest, her heart still racing, and her mind reeling. She had never felt so completely claimed and so utterly wanted.