If I claimed her—truly claimed her with bite and bond—it would be irreversible. She would be tethered to me by fate andblood and instinct. The jungle would never release her. Neither would I.
I couldn’t take that choice from her. Not unless she understood exactly what it meant. And not while the fugitive still posed a threat.
I moved to the edge of the shelter, scanning the dense foliage below. The jungle floor pulsed with its normal morning rhythms—bioluminescent fungi dimming as sunlight filtered through the canopy, ground-dwelling scavengers retreating to their burrows, carnivorous vines unfurling to catch the unwary.
Beautiful. Deadly. Mine to protect.
And now, hers too.
The thought should have unsettled me. Instead, it felt right. As if her presence had filled a gap in the ecosystem that I hadn’t known existed.
I inhaled deeply, testing the air. Her scent still lingered in the shelter—that unique blend of human female and something distinctly Miri. Warm spice and wild determination. But it was fresher now, closer.
She was returning.
I stilled, focusing my senses on the approach path. The vines were guiding her, clearing obstacles, protecting her bare feet from the thorns and toxins that littered the jungle floor. Phil’s companion vines—the ones that had accompanied her to the pool—were relaying status updates through the network. Safe. Clean. Coming home.
Home. When had I started thinking of this temporary shelter as home?
When she arrived, whispered the part of me I couldn’t silence.
I heard her before I saw her—the soft pad of her feet against moss, the quiet hum of a melody I didn’t recognize, the gentlerustle of vines parting to clear her path. Then she emerged from the dense foliage, and something in my chest clenched tight.
She was...radiant. Water droplets still clung to her skin, catching the dappled sunlight and transforming it into fractured rainbows. Her long, dark hair swept up into a top knot, the damp wisps of curls clinging to her cheeks and neck in ways that made my fingers itch to trace their path.
She walked with no fear, as if she belonged here. As if she’d been born to this wild place rather than the concrete world she’d described.
My tail thumped once against the branch in approval before I caught it. Traitorous thing.
She caught the movement, her gaze sharpening as she looked up at me. Her lips curved into that half-smile that managed to be both challenging and disarming.
“Morning, Furball,” she called, her voice carrying easily through the humid air.
I grunted and looked away before I said something I couldn’t take back. Something like “mine” or “stay” or “let me taste you again.”
Because the bond was forming, strengthening with each shared breath, each shared dream. The need was building, a pressure inside me that threatened to crack my hard-won control. And that control?
It was hanging by a vine.
I watchedas Miri climbed up to the shelter, her movements growing more confident with each passing day. She’d adapted to the jungle with surprising speed, as if some part of her had been waiting for this wild place. For me. The thought was dangerous,a temptation I couldn’t afford. I’d promised myself I would send her home, back to her world, her life, her family. But as she settled across from me, cross-legged and expectant, I felt the words sticking in my throat like thorns.
“So,” she said, breaking the silence between us. “I think it’s time for some answers, Lor. Real ones.” She reached out to stroke Phil, who had immediately slithered over to curl around her wrist like an affectionate pet. “What exactly is your mission here? And don’t give me that ‘I hunt’ nonsense again. I want details.”
I studied her face—the determined set of her jaw, the intelligence in her dark eyes, the way she didn’t flinch from my gaze the way most humans would. My kassari was no coward. She deserved truth. Just...not all of it. Not yet.
“I am stationed here as a Legion Reaper,” I began, choosing my words with care. “This planet—GL-7—houses technology that must be protected. The jungle itself is valuable. Sentient ecosystems are rare in the charted universe. Many would exploit it.”
“And Legion is...what exactly? Space military?”
I nodded. “The Legion is a coalition of allied worlds that protects the outer spiral of the galaxy, led by Eridani alphas. We maintain order, defend borders, secure dangerous technology.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “So you’re basically space cops.”
“We are warriors,” I corrected. “Reapers are...specialized. We work alone, for extended periods, in hostile environments. Where others cannot survive. Most if not all of the Legion Reapers are Rodinian for that reason.”
“Like this charming death jungle.”
I found myself almost smiling at her description. “Yes. Like this.”
