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M y boots crunched over the ashy debris as we traced our way back to the Starfall .

Velaxis Prime’s night turned the wasteland into a field of shadows, with small fires dotting the distance like artificial stars.

The orange glow highlighted Korvan’s profile with each step - the sharp angles of his face, his broad shoulders, the rips in his armor.

Korvan walked beside me, steady and sure despite the wound that had nearly killed him an hour ago. I snuck another look at him. His gray skin was smeared with dirt and dried blood, yet he moved with fluid grace while I limped along, muscles protesting every step.

“We’re almost there,” I said, more to break the silence than anything else.

The words he’d spoken in the heat of the fight replayed in my mind. You’re reckless, infuriating... and I can’t stop thinking about you. I pushed the thought away. Combat does things to people. Makes them say things they don’t mean.

Korvan nodded. “Your ship should be undisturbed. I set proximity alerts before we left.”

“Good thinking.” I slowed my pace as a sharp pain shot through my calf. “Hope the deathtraps weren’t necessary.”

“The deathtraps are my favorite part,” Korvan replied, deadpan.

I snorted, then winced at the unexpected pain from my bruised ribs.

“You’re injured,” he said, turning toward me.

“I’m fine. Just a scratch.” I waved him off, limping forward.

The Starfall wasn’t far now—its faint silhouette appeared against the horizon, a familiar shape that made my chest ache with relief. But before we could reach it, Korvan raised a hand, signaling me to stop.

“Wait,” he said, his tone sharp. He sniffed the air, his crimson eyes narrowing as he scanned the shadows ahead.

“What is it?” I whispered, instinctively reaching for my blaster.

“Movement,” he answered, almost too quiet to hear. “Something’s tracking us.”

I froze, my heart pounding as I strained to hear whatever he’d picked up. After a moment of silence, I barely caught the faint sound of scraping metal, like claws against a surface. It came from somewhere to our right, just beyond the skeletal remains of a bombed-out vehicle.

“Wildlife?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than mercenaries.

“Possibly. Velaxis Prime has scavenger predators—creatures that survive off corpses and scrap.”

“Great,” I muttered. “Just what we need.”

Korvan stepped in front of me, his plasma pistol drawn. “Stay behind me.”

I bristled at the order but didn’t argue. My ribs ached, my calf throbbed, and honestly, if something jumped out of the shadows, I wasn’t sure I’d have the strength to fight it off. So, I stayed close, my blaster ready as we crept forward.

The sound came again, louder this time. Claws on metal. My pulse quickened as I scanned the darkness, every shadow turning into a potential threat.

Then it struck.

A blur of sharp teeth and gray fur lunged from the side, slamming into Korvan and knocking him off balance. He twisted as he fell, one arm coming up to block the creature’s snapping jaws while the other aimed his pistol at its chest.

I fired before he could, the shot catching the scavenger in its side. It shrieked, a horrible, high-pitched sound, and recoiled just enough for Korvan to shove it off him. He rolled to his feet in one smooth motion, his claws extending as the creature lunged again.

This time, his plasma bolt hit dead center, dropping it instantly.

The silence that followed was deafening. My breathing was ragged, my hands shaking as I lowered my blaster. The scavenger lay limp in the dirt, its metallic talons gleaming faintly in the orange glow of distant fires.

“You alright?” Korvan asked, turning to me.

I nodded, though my knees felt weak. “Fine. You?”

He glanced down at his torn armor, his expression unreadable. “It didn’t break the skin.”

“Good,” I said, though my voice came out shakier than I’d intended. “Because I’m not dragging you back to the ship.”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I’d like to see you try.”

I rolled my eyes, but the tension in my chest loosened slightly. “Let’s just get out of here before something else decides we look tasty.”

We reached the Starfall without further incident. I punched in the access code, and the ramp lowered with a mechanical hiss. The familiar smell of engine oil and recycled air welcomed me home.

“I’ll start the decryption,” I said, heading straight for the cockpit while Korvan closed and locked the ship behind us.

I dropped into my pilot’s chair and inserted the data chip into the console. The encryption was heavy-duty - military grade. This would take time.

“Start program: Locksmith,” I told the computer, then leaned back, finally letting my body acknowledge just how tired I was. Every muscle ached. I rubbed at a bruise forming on my forearm, already turning purple against my skin.

Twenty minutes passed before I heard Korvan’s footsteps approaching. I turned, expecting to see him still bandaged and bloodied.

Instead, I froze. He’d removed his armored shirt, and where there should have been a gaping wound on his side, there was only smooth gray skin. The orange markings that curved along his torso stood out against his ash-gray complexion, unmarred by injury.

I stared, amazed. “Your wound... it’s completely gone. I knew Vinduthi healed fast from what I saw earlier, but this is incredible.”

Korvan looked down at his side with casual interest. “The damage was extensive, but not beyond my body’s ability to repair. We evolved as apex predators—quick healing was necessary for survival.”

I stood up, crossing the space between us. My fingers hovered over the spot where I’d seen him bleeding out just hours ago.

“That’s... incredible. You were bleeding out an hour ago.” The words tumbled out as I studied the orange patterns that ran along his side.

“We’re not like you, Iria. Our bodies are stronger. Faster. Designed to survive.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” I couldn’t pull my gaze away, fascination overriding my usual caution about personal space. “Is that why Vinduthi dominate the underground? Biology?”

“It helps,” Korvan said. “But strategy matters more than physiology. Strength only takes you so far.”

I finally looked up at his face, still marked with dried blood and grime. “Does it hurt? The healing process?”

“Yes.”

One word, but it gave me a glimpse behind his stoic facade. I stepped back with a start, realizing I’d been practically examining him like a specimen.

“You’re staring,” he said quietly.

Heat rushed to my face. “I’ve just... never seen anything like you before.”

Korvan stepped closer, erasing the distance I’d just created. “And I’ve never met anyone like you.”

The air between us changed, charged with something I didn’t want to name. My heart beat harder against my ribs.

“Iria...” Korvan’s eyes searched mine.

I took a small step forward. “This is a terrible idea,” I whispered.

“Probably,” he replied, his voice low. His hand brushed against mine, then moved to my cheek.

When his lips met mine, the touch was tentative, questioning. I answered by pressing closer, and the kiss deepened, slow and thorough. His skin burned hot against mine, and I felt the slight press of his sharp canines against my lower lip. I should have been terrified. Instead, I wanted more.

The kiss broke, both of us pulling away at once. My lungs demanded air. My cheeks burned. Korvan looked at me with an open vulnerability I’d never seen on his face before.

“We shouldn’t have done that,” I said, my pulse still hammering in my ears.

“Maybe. But it wasn’t a mistake.” His voice remained steady.

I turned away, needing distance, my mind racing.

The kiss had awakened something I’d been trying to ignore since the moment we met.

A flutter of memories surfaced—hushed conversations in darkened spaceports, rumors about Vinduthi and their human partners.

I’d heard stories about the claiming bite, how it changed humans who received it.

How it linked them permanently to their Vinduthi mates, sharing some of their strength, their senses, even their distinctive markings.

I’d once seen a human woman on Balos Station with dark red swirls running across her neck and shoulder—unmistakably Vinduthi patterns.

She’d moved with unusual grace, tracked sounds a normal human couldn’t hear.

When her Vinduthi partner had entered the room, the connection between them was almost visible, like an energy field linking them together.

I shook off the memory. That kind of connection wasn’t for someone like me. My life was about staying free, unattached, ready to run at a moment’s notice. The claiming bite was permanent—more binding than any contract.

“I can’t afford to... to feel anything right now. My life is complicated enough as it is.”

Korvan’s fingers brushed against mine. “I’m not asking for anything now. But when this is over... we’ll figure it out.”

I hesitated before nodding. “When this is over.” Not a promise. But it was enough for now.

A beep from the console broke the moment. The data chip had finished decrypting. I stepped back to the screen, grateful for the distraction.

Lines of text and names filled the display. Korvan moved to stand beside me, his presence both comforting and unsettling after what had just happened between us.

“There,” Korvan said, pointing to a name at the top of the list. His voice hardened. “That’s the traitor.”

I stared at the screen, my eyes widening as I recognized the name. My stomach dropped so fast I thought I might be sick.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”