Page 26 of Alien Guardian's Vow

"I'll recover." The words came out rougher than intended.

She sat back on her heels, her silver markings catching the flashes from outside. They pulsed with a rhythm that somehow matched my own lifelines. The synchronization unsettled me more than the pain.

Another tremor shook the alcove. Dust and fragments rained from the ceiling. I instinctively reached out, pulling her closer to shield her from falling debris. The movement tore through my injured shoulder, drawing a sharp hiss through my teeth.

"Careful!" Her hands steadied against my chest. "You'll make it worse."

Our eyes locked. The storm's flashing light illuminated the fear in hers, but something else too—relief, concern, an intensity that mirrored the bond humming between us. My awareness of her expanded beyond the physical—her jangled nerves, the tight coil of fear in her chest, the relief that we both survived.

The air between us thickened with more than just dust and ozone. Her scent filled my senses—human sweat, fear, and something uniquely Rivera that bypassed all my defenses.

"Your lifelines..." She whispered, staring at the golden patterns beneath my skin that brightened in response to her proximity.

Another tremor, stronger this time. Her body pitched forward. My hand caught her waist, steadying her. The contact sent a jolt through both of us, her markings flaring silver in response to my golden glow.

"What's happening?" Her breath ghosted across my face.

"The bond." My voice hardly sounded like my own. "It strengthens in proximity."

Her fingers traced the edge of a lifeline on my arm, sending ripples of sensation through my entire body. "I can feel what you're feeling."

"And I, you."

The pressure of duty, of tradition, of everything I'd been taught about humans crashed against the overwhelming need for connection. Her solid presence anchored me as the world literally crumbled around us. Her unexpected competence, her care for my injury, her determination to survive—all of it challenged everything I'd believed about humans.

Another flash from the storm, another tremor. Her body shifted closer to mine, our foreheads nearly touching. The bond between us roared to life, drowning out pain, duty, and reason.

"Varek..." My name on her lips broke the last of my restraint.

My hand moved to her face, fingers tracing the edge of her jaw. Her skin felt impossibly soft beneath my calloused touch. Her markings brightened at the contact, sending silver light dancing across the walls of our shelter.

"This is..." She didn't finish, but I felt her confusion through the bond, tangled with desire and fear.

"I know."

She leaned into my touch, eyes closing briefly. When they opened again, all hesitation had vanished. Her hand found my uninjured shoulder, gripping with surprising strength.

"We might die in here." Her voice carried no fear, just simple acknowledgment.

"Then we die knowing." The words came without thought, ancient and instinctual.

Her lips met mine with unexpected gentleness that quickly gave way to urgency. The bond between us exploded into awareness, doubling every sensation. I tasted her fear, her relief, her desperate need for connection.

My good arm circled her waist, pulling her fully against me. The pain in my shoulder receded beneath the flood of sensation. Her hands tangled in my hair, drawing me deeper into the kiss.

"This is insane," she gasped against my mouth.

"Yes." I agreed, trailing kisses down her neck where her markings glowed brightest. "Completely."

Her fingers found the fastenings of my armor, surprisingly deft for human hands. Each piece she removed felt like shedding a layer of resistance, of tradition, of everything that had kept us apart.

"Your shoulder—" she whispered, concern flickering through the bond.

"Ignore it." I tugged at her utility vest, needing to feel more of her. "I need this more than healing."

She helped me remove her layers, our movements awkward in the confined space. Each new expanse of skin revealed more of her silver markings, intricate patterns that responded to my touch with brightening intensity.

"They've never done that before," she breathed as I traced a pattern across her collarbone.

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