Page 38 of Hunted By the Dragon Alien

EIGHTEEN

Sevas

Sevas nestled into Takkian’s chest. Her body melted into the strength and warmth of his embrace. His arms wrapped securely around her, holding her in the moment. They lay there in comfortable silence. The weight of the gravity blanket pressed them together, grounding their bodies even as their hearts seemed to soar.

She traced small circles across his forearm with her fingertips. Takkian’s hand moved to her hair, fingers lightly grazing her scalp in soothing patterns. The rhythm of their hearts synced to a quiet, unspoken melody. She had never known such peace. Such belonging.

For a while, they simply rested, letting the hum of the ship and each other’s presence wash over them. Words felt unnecessary. This was a sanctuary neither of them had experienced in cycles.

When Sevas finally looked up at Takkian, he met her gaze with a dark heat that sent warmth pooling low in her belly. She cupped his cheek. Her thumb brushed over the sharp angles ofhis face. The unspoken promise between them reignited, and the time for rest made way for the rekindling of their passion. Together, they gave in to each other once more, sealing their love in the quiet sanctuary of their small room.

They lay entwined afterward, bodies still aglow from their shared intimacy. She never wanted to leave the weight of the gravity blanket. It wrapped them in warmth and felt so safe. Sevas rested her head on Takkian’s chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. His hand skimmed lazily up and down her back, and though his touch was light, she could feel the strength behind it—a protective force that never seemed to waver.

Silence stretched between them, but it was a comforting, tender kind of silence. For now, Sevas allowed herself to exist in the kind of peace she hadn’t known since she was a child, back when she believed the world could still hold small, safe things.

Takkian’s deep voice broke through her thoughts, low and rough but carrying the soothing certainty she always drew strength from. “I’ll never take this for granted,” he murmured, his hand still trailing over her back. “You. This. Us.”

She tilted her head, resting her chin lightly on his chest as her fingers splayed over his warm skin. “Neither will I,” she replied softly. “We’ve fought too hard for this to let it slip away.”

“We need to get up,” he grunted. “See what Bruil is doing.”

But they stayed there, intertwined and content for a moment longer. The universe beyond their small ship still waited.

Finally, they rose and dressed and the soft whoosh of the cabin door sliding open announced their arrival in the main cabin. Sevas glided into the space, leaving behind the comfort of their shared sanctuary. Their movements were casual, but she could feel a newfound ease between them. Takkian was her bondmate—no matter what her father had to say about it—and he was a better choice than any male at the settlements she came from.

Bruil was seated at the console. A faint glow from the screen cast highlights across his hard, weathered face. His sharp yellow eyes flicked toward them briefly before returning to the data in front of him. “Good of you two to come up for air,” he said gruffly, though there was a trace of amusement in his tone. He leaned back in his seat, folding his arms. “I’ve got the coordinates for the outpost.”

“That’s good news,” Sevas said, flashing Bruil a smile.

Takkian moved behind her. “How far are we?”

Bruil gestured to the display, where a holographic projection of star charts and travel routes rotated slowly. A blinking point marked their current position amid a swirling cloud of data points, and another point, farther away, glowed faintly. “By conventional travel, it’d take at least twenty cycles. But this ship is equipped withfoldtechnology.”

Takkian frowned faintly. “You mentioned that before. Spacefolding—it compresses the distance, correct?”

Bruil nodded, his claws tapping idly on the console. “Exactly. It essentially ‘folds’ space, bringing two points closer together, so you can travel vast distances in a fraction of the time.” He hesitated, his expression darkening slightly. “But there’s a drawback.Foldingtakes a lot of power. It’ll leave the ship vulnerable for a bit while it recharges after.”

Sevas folded her arms, her sharp gaze fixing on Bruil. “How vulnerable are we talking?”

Bruil scratched at his jaw, looking more thoughtful than usual. “The ship’s basic systems will remain operational—life support, interior functions, the usual. But we’ll lose access to most defense systems and high-speed thrusters until the power cells stabilize. If we’re attacked during that window, we won’t have much to fight back with.”

“That’s a risk,” Takkian said. His mouth set into a grim line. “Especially considering the Axis might already be scouting the quadrant for ships like ours.”

“It is,” Bruil agreed, his voice low and weighted. He turned his gaze back to the display, the swirling stars reflected in his sharp yellow eyes. “But it’s also our best shot at reaching that outpost before the trail goes cold. If we wait too long, those we’re looking for might move on. Outposts like that are for brief visits.”

Takkian crossed his arms, his presence solid and commanding beside Sevas. His silver eyes narrowed as he stared at the chart. “How long is the vulnerability window?”

Bruil exhaled noisily. “Best guess? Twenty rotations of the smaller cycle—no more than eightypiks. After that, the cells will stabilize enough for us to bring weapons and mobility online. But until then, the only things we’ll have are basic shields and my piloting skills.”

“You’re underselling yourself, Bruil,” Sevas said with a faint smile. “You’re the best pilot we’ve got.”

Bruil snorted, though there was a flicker of warmth in his expression. “The only pilot you’ve got,” he muttered. “And even that’s a gamble.Foldtech wasn’t standard in my day, so we’re banking on this fancy ship doing its job as advertised.”

Sevas tilted her head as she thought over the possibilities. “If we’re cautious, we can do this. The longer we wait, the greater the chance the Axis patrols catch wind of us—or worse, intercept Fivra, Turi, and the Zaruxians before we even get close.” It feltverystrange to contemplate the overseer of Settlement112-1. He had authority over her and everyone there. The idea of meeting him again made her uncomfortable, but she’d decide how to deal with him when and if they met up. One thing she knew for sure—he was not her overseer out here. No one ruled over her. Not now. Not ever again.

Takkian’s jaw tightened. She could tell he didn’t like it. The risk, the lack of control, the vulnerability—it grated against every warrior instinct she knew he possessed. But when he looked at Sevas, he shook his head with a small smile. “We’ll need a backup plan in case we’re attacked.”

“If it comes to a fight, we’ll use whatever power we have left to hit back,” Bruil said with grim honesty. “But, let’s just say, I’d rather not test our luck against a fully armed Axis patrol.”

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