Page 22 of Fool's Gold

"This is our chance!" I shouted over the cacophony. "Hold on tight!"

Gemma's arms wound around my neck as I scooped her up, cradling her against me. I tensed my legs and leapt, soaring over the heads of the drones in a single mighty bound.

We slammed into the deck just shy of the ramp, skidding the last few meters. I rolled, keeping Gemma tucked securely beneath me as we crossed the airlock threshold.

The instant we were clear, I roared, "Arana, get us out of here!"

The ramp retracted with alarming speed, bulkhead doors slamming shut to seal us within the Shadowblade's interior. Gravity plating kicked in as the ship's drives roared to life, hurling us away from the doomed station.

I sagged back against the deck, chest heaving with exertion. Gemma remained clutched against me, her face pressed into the crook of my shoulder. I could feel her ragged breaths, smell the tang of fear and adrenaline.

But we were alive. Against all odds, I had kept her safe.

Slowly, she pulled back to meet my gaze. Her pupils were wide, dark pools fringed by a thin ring of hazel. Full lips parted as she drew in a shuddering breath.

"You...you came back for me," she whispered, voice barely audible over the thrum of the engines.

"Of course I did." My words emerged as a low rumble. "I'll always keep you safe, Gemma. No matter what."

Her fingers traced along the line of my jaw, featherlight. "But the jewels..."

"Mean nothing compared to you." I leaned in, my lips a hair's breadth from hers. "Don't ever risk yourself like that again. I cannot lose you."

Then I claimed her mouth in a fevered kiss, unable to resist the fierce need blazing within me. She melted against me with a soft whimper, returning the kiss with ardent fervor.

In that moment, the rest of the galaxy faded away. All that mattered was Gemma, safe and alive in my embrace. No treasure could ever compare to the priceless gift I held.

GEMMA

I pushed him away, my heart a drum gone wild. "Wait, Kaelith. What are you saying?"

His ardent red eyes bored into me, the swirling blue markings on his gray skin seeming to pulse with energy. "You know exactly what I'm saying, little one."

I shook my head, trying to gather my thoughts. "No, I don't. You need to be just as clear as you were before when we made our deal," I said, meeting Kaelith's piercing gaze. My voice trembled slightly despite my efforts to sound resolute. "The deal was the treasure for my freedom. But now the treasure is gone. So what do you want to do?"

Kaelith's expression hardened, his sharp features etched with determination. He stepped closer, his imposing frame towering over me. "The deal has changed, little one. I no longer seek mere riches."

My heart raced as he reached out, his calloused fingers grazing my cheek with unexpected tenderness. "You've proven yourself resourceful, brave...desirable." His voice dropped to a rumbling purr that I’d come to crave. "I want you, Gemma. As my mate."

I recoiled, mouth agape. "Your mate? But I'm human, and you're..." My gaze roamed his alien features - the horns, the fangs, the metallic sheen in his eyes. "We're different species. How is that even possible?"

A ghost of a smirk played on Kaelith's lips. "Vinduthi and humans are biologically compatible. It's rare, but not unheard of." His hand slid down to my throat, his thumb caressing the sensitive skin. "And you've awoken a primal need within me, one I can no longer deny."

Heat bloomed across my cheeks as his proximity overwhelmed my senses - the spicy, musky scent of his skin, the warmth radiating from his body. Part of me yearned to surrender, to lose myself in his fierce embrace. But another part recoiled at the thought of becoming his possession, a mere conquest to sate his desires.

"I...I don't know what to say," I stammered, my thoughts a tangled mess. "This is all so sudden. You can't expect me to just agree to be your mate, like some sort of...of concubine!"

Kaelith's eyes flashed with a predatory gleam. "You mistake my intentions, little one. I don't seek a mere dalliance or a slave to warm my bed." He leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. "I want you as my equal, my partner. To fight by my side, to share my life, my battles...my passions."

A tremor coursed through me at the raw longing in his voice. This powerful warrior was offering me more than just a fleeting conquest - he was proposing an intimate bond, a union of body and spirit. The idea should have terrified me, and yet...

"What would that life entail?" I asked, my voice tight. "If I accept, what becomes of me?"

Kaelith's arm encircled my waist, drawing me flush against his body. "You'll want for nothing," he promised. "Wealth, protection, a place at my side as my honored mate. And in return..." His breath was hot on my skin. "I'll claim you, body and soul. You'll belong to me, Gemma, as I will belong to you."

Kaelith clenched his jaw, the sharp points of his canine teeth peeking out. With surprising tenderness, he grasped my hands in his large ones, calloused from battle. "Listen to me, Gemma. I'm not skilled with words of affection, but you must know how I feel about you."

He dropped to one knee in front of me, his horns glinting in the low light. "You are my mate, my dearest heart. If you'll have me, I vow to spend the rest of my days making you happy, keeping you safe." His thumb stroked over my knuckles. "No harm will ever come to you again, this I swear."