Page 5 of His Fierce Fugitive
He nods. “She crash landed on the outskirts of the Royal grounds. The marriage was strategic to aid Ydris in a power struggle between other forces in our galaxy and for Gwen to secure the resources to find you and your other friend.”
“Lacey? Gwen found her, too?” A tendril of hope winds its way into my chest. Could my two best friends have made it through this whole shit show?
He shakes his head. “Unfortunately, we haven’t found her yet.”
Disappointment hits me, but I’m still trying to comprehend Gwen’s fate.Marriedanda queen?
She was so against marriage. And to do it for…me and Lacey? She’s a saint.
“I’m sorry about your friend. But know that Gwen and Ryz are very much in love.”
I scoff. “Right.”
“You don’t believe me?” he smiles.
“If you knew Gwen, you wouldn’t believe it either.”
He glances down at our hands for a moment, and licks his lips. Firm, rugged, and nicely shaped lips. “There’s more I need to tell you.”
I wait. I have to admit, his hands are warm and comforting.
God, I must be losing it.
“You can trust me, Iris, because…I amyours. We are fated mates.”
What?
Fated mates?
He looks serious. As in, he’s not even blinking. Why am I still staring into his stupidly mesmerizing eyes?!
He squeezes my hand. "And know this, sweet one. I will not rest until you are safe, until your heart is mended, and until you are ready to accept the love that is yours to take."
Is hefor real, right now?
"Fated mates? Are you freaking kidding me?" I snap. "Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the rescue, but that doesn't mean I'm buying into some cosmic soulmate nonsense." That’s just a little too far-fetched, even for this impossibly insane adventure I’ve been forced into.
Tak's expression remains unwavering, though his chin dips slightly. "Many Kraetians believe in the deep bond of fated mates. I've felt the connection since I laid eyes on you in your cell."
Heisserious.
Sure, there’s something about him that’s different. Probably because he’sanalien!But fated mates? Spare me.
"You must think I'm pretty naive," I say. The way he's looking at me, with those piercing green eyes, makes my heart flutter despite my skepticism. I snort, feeling the all-too-familiar weight of my past relationships pressing down on me. "I've had my heart broken enough times to know better than to trust fate."
I finally pull out of his grasp and undo my harness.
“I know,” he says, helping me despite my sudden irritation.
“Excuse me?” I cross my arms over my chest. “How do youknow?”
“I can feel it,” he says, like it’s nothing, as he fiddles with the craft hatch. “Your pain ismypain.”
“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when we crashed?” I ask.
“I am sure,” he says, pounding a bit on the hatch now, flexing all of his muscles in the process. The spandex-like material that covers his torso and legs does little to hide his…bulk. Neither does it hide that significant bulge at his groin. “You know, Gwen and Ryz didn’t believe in fated mates either…but Ryz’s sister, the Ydris oracle, was correct when she divined it. They fought it at first, but eventually, they succumbed. It’s almost sickening to watch them together.”
I huff. No way. Gwen hated PDA. “I’ll have to see that to believe it.”