Page 45

“Alodon’s balls,” he hissed. And I delivered him to the battleship. Ice drenched him, but he stayed in place. “Who sent you?”

She pinched her lips. “Barro. Now do as you promised.”

He cupped her cheeks, pressed a kiss to her temple, and snapped her neck. Angling his head, he listened for her heartbeat. When nothing reached his ears, he leapt to his feet and commed Kanzo. He shared what he’d learnt.

“Maker,” Kanzo gasped. “Guard Lady Wren. I will have Barro questioned while I reach out to Supreme Commander Kyah and Jokta.”

“Keep me informed, if you can, Adviser.” Cylo returned to Wren, not bothering with the maze. He took the direct route—through the hole, across the top, and into the crevice. A quick dip in the pool removed the sweat coating his body and any lingering Foutas venom on his lips and tongue.

Dripping wet, he entered her quarters, expecting to find her awake. The silence deafened him. He bolted for her bedroom.

She hadn’t moved, and the burn mark on her thigh said it all.

He’d taken the brunt of the stun but not all of it.

White blinded his vision as panic tore through him.

His O.D.I. wouldn’t work here. And he wasn’t leaving her, not again.

He faced the display vid in the common room.

“Warrior-on-duty,” he said. “Send Medic Ariez to Lady Wren now. She has been wounded.”

“Acknowledged.”

Cylo returned to her side and gathered her in his arms, taking the time to cover all but her thigh with the blanket. Her heartbeat calmed him as did her reedy breathing. She was alive, warm, and not bleeding. Three facts he used to bolster his unstable hope.

“What happened?” Ariez strode in, knelt beside the bed, and used his med-gun on her.

“A stun from a Maloidian,” Cylo said.

“Set to too high a level for humans, by the look of it.” Ariez scowled. “Stun her then what? She dies a natural death? Take her off-world?”

Instead of answering, Cylo played the recording.

“Alodon’s hell,” Ariez muttered. “The med-E.D. now.”

Cylo didn’t hesitate, leaping to his feet and taking Wren with him.

He trailed Ariez, half-running while trying to keep his gait even and not jarring.

She shivered in his arms, and he cradled her close.

When they neared medical, Ariez hurried ahead.

He activated the med-E.D. Only when Cylo lowered her onto the bed and stepped back did he realize she was naked.

“Will she live?” he had to ask, for once in his life needing assurances.

“What does the void say?” Ariez asked, moving between consoles.

Cylo almost scoffed at that. Every part of him knew she’d survive. His void had diminished to a pinpoint of black nothingness.

“It would consume you if she was dying,” Ariez said.

Cylo’s breath hitched. “Truth?” He blinked his vision clear, unable to grasp why everything was blurred.

Under his vigilance, her wound healed, new skin formed, and her lilac skin took on a healthy glow. Her curves, the flow of her hair, the softness of her bottom lip, the daintiness of her tiny toes were even more beautiful to him.

Pain lashed him, snatching his breath. A crushing weight around his chest froze his heart.

Roaring consumed his ears, and the sweet flavor of her fulfillment exploded across his tongue.

He remembered the first taste of her on the floor of the bay.

The way she’d wrapped her lush lips around the head of his malehood.

His eyes burned, but he refused to look away from her suspended form. His knees weakened; his splayed fingers on the dome kept him upright. He pressed his temple to the dome. “I love you, Wren,” he whispered. Visions…memories of her rolled across his mind.

“Step aside, Cylo. Let me wake her.”

Ariez’s voice came from afar. Cylo spared him a nod and shuffled back.

The hiss of the dome retracting accompanied the gentle lowering of her body to the bed.

She moaned, drifting up from the med-E.D.

’s deep slumber. Ariez’s footsteps retreated then returned.

He offered her a garment, his gaze averted.

It was a ceremonial wrap…in Cylo’s bloodline color.

Dazed, he admired the way the white silk draped her curves when she slipped it on.

“Do I want to know what happened?” she asked, holding out her hand to Cylo.

“A Maloidian operative snuck into your quarters and shot you with a blaster.”

She gaped, smacked her mouth shut, then asked, “A spy?”

“Because of Iphara.” Cylo closed the distance; her fingers touching him wasn’t enough.

“Good news.” Ariez flashed a smile. “This was your final assessment.”

Wren frowned. “Why? Not that I’m unhappy about this.”

“You have stabilized.” Ariez faced the display vids, tapped charts, and streamed information. “Seems the stun was the final catalyst needed. Congratulations to the both of you.”

She frowned. “Thanks?” She shuffled on her backside to reach the edge of the bed.

“Your quarters are ready.” Ariez swiped his wrist across Cylo’s. “I had the bulkheads and ceiling reinforced.”

Cylo froze. “No more pools?”

“The rock’s protection is no longer needed.” Ariez waved a hand, dismissing them.

Cylo checked the location then lifted Wren into his arms. He carried her out of medical and south, closer to the ocean. His mind reeled over everything he’d learned. At least, there was no more talk of separating them. That was progress. That hell was finally over.

Outside her quarters, he lowered her feet to the ground, then palmed the panel. As he ushered her in, he asked, “Before I adore every inch of you, do you have any more questions?”

She laughed. “If I did, it can wait.”

Maker, I love you.

“Oh?” She arched a brow as she slipped out of the wrap. “Cy,” she rasped, cupping a cheek as she rose onto her toes to kiss him. “And I you.”

He yanked her against him, looping his arm around her waist. Angling his head to deepen the kiss, he halted when she pressed a finger to his lips.

“What happened to the spy?”