Page 74 of Bound to the Marak

"Evening," she said, rising to meet him.

He didn’t speak at first—only moved to her, his steps soundless, his presence overwhelming. When he took her hand in his, the warmth of his skin calmed the restless tangle in her stomach.

"You're troubled," he said.

She looked up at him. "You were on Earth. Weren’t you?"

He didn’t answer. His dark eyes only searched hers with unreadable depth.

"You did something," she continued. "People saw... things."

"I did what was necessary," he said quietly.

That was all.

She sighed, resting her head briefly against his chest. His heart beat differently—slower, deeper, like a pulse echoing from the core of the world.

"I just wish I knew what you were protecting me from," she murmured.

"Too much," he replied. And then, before she could press further, his tone shifted. "Come with me."

He led her through the spiraled corridors of his tower to the chambers she rarely entered—his Inner Sanctum. They opened without a word, responding to his presence alone. The room inside was vast, warm, and fragrant with alien incense. Pillars soared like trees to the high ceiling, and curved windows revealed the night skies of Luxar.

Leonie turned to him in confusion. "Why are we here?"

"You are not returning to your chambers," he said. "They are no longer yours."

Her brow furrowed. "Then where?—?"

"These are your chambers now. Mine. Ours."

The words stunned her into silence.

"You will live here," he continued, voice low and reverent. "There will be no more separation between us. You are to dwell at my side—in truth, in presence, and in name."

Her lips parted. "Karian, are you saying...?"

He stepped closer, cupping her face in one clawed hand. "There has only been one other instance of this. Over a millennium ago. A Marak... choosing a mate. Declaring it to the stars."

Her pulse thundered.

"And now, it will be known again," he said. "You are to be my Marakin."

Leonie felt her knees weaken. His arms wrapped around her instantly, catching her, holding her tight to his body. The weight of what he’d said slammed into her like a wave. Not a concubine. Not a captive. A mate.

His.

Forever.

Karian leaned down and kissed her deeply, with a heat that left her breathless. She melted into him, unable to hold back the swell of longing, the gravity that had always drawn her to him.

He would declare her to his people. To the universe.

And she would stand beside him, not as property, but as a partner.

She let herself go completely, surrendering to his touch, to the certainty in his voice, to the future she had once thought stolen—but had instead been rewritten in stars.

Fifty-Two

---