Page 28 of Alien Guardian's Vow

The words fell flat in the awkward silence. We dressed with mechanical efficiency, the cramped space forcing occasional contact that sent aftershocks through the bond.

The situation crashed back with crushing force. We remained trapped in unstable ruins. Hammond's operation continued to destabilize the entire system. My injury needed proper treatment. And I had just violated every tradition of my people by bonding with a human during a moment of weakness.

Shame burned through me, followed immediately by fierce possessiveness that startled with its intensity. Through the bond, I caught fragments of Rivera's turmoil—embarrassment, confusion, lingering pleasure, and sharp focus returning to our survival.

"We should—" she started.

"Yes." I cut her off, unable to hear whatever practical assessment she planned to offer. "The storm has lessened. We should continue once it's safe."

She nodded, still not meeting my eyes. "Your shoulder needs proper treatment."

"It will hold."

"Varek..." She finally looked at me, her expression unreadable. "What just happened between us?—"

"Was a mistake." The words tasted bitter. I felt her flinch through the bond.

"A mistake," she repeated flatly. "Right."

"Not because—" I struggled to articulate the conflict raging within me. "The circumstances were not... appropriate."

"Appropriate?" A flash of anger sparked through the bond. "We nearly died. Multiple times. We're still trapped in a collapsing ancient facility. What exactly would be an appropriate time?"

Her logic, as always, cut through tradition with engineer's precision. I sighed, leaning my head back against the wall.

"You don't understand. Among my people, bonding is sacred. It should be approached with ceremony, with the blessing of elders, with proper consideration."

"Bonding?" Her eyes widened. "Is that what happened? I thought it was just... I mean, I thought we just..."

"The physical act between compatible partners initiates bonding," I explained, discomfort growing. This conversation should happen with proper preparation, not in a cramped alcove with danger still surrounding us. "What we experienced—the sharing of sensation, the connection—that is the beginning of a lifebond."

She sat back, shock radiating through the bond. "And that's... bad?"

"It's unprecedented." I closed my eyes briefly. "A human and a Nyxari, bonding without ceremony or preparation. The Council will?—"

"The Council might not even be there if we don't stop Hammond and stabilize this facility," she interrupted. "Let's focus on the immediate problem."

Her practicality cut through my spiral of tradition and consequence. She was right—survival came first. The implications of our actions could wait.

"You're right." I straightened, ignoring the pain that radiated from my shoulder. "We need to move as soon as the storm subsides completely."

She nodded, relief evident in her posture. Through the bond, I could feel her mental shift—compartmentalizing what happened between us, focusing on the technical challenges ahead. The engineer reasserting control over the woman.

I envied her ability to separate emotion from duty. My own thoughts remained tangled between shame at my lack of discipline and fierce protectiveness toward the human who now carried part of my essence through the bond.

"Your shoulder," she said after a moment. "How bad is it really?"

"Manageable."

"That's not what I asked." Her eyes narrowed. "I can feel your pain through this... bond. Don't lie to me."

The directness of her gaze challenged me. "It will slow me down but not stop me. The burn damaged muscle but missed major vessels."

She nodded, accepting the assessment. "We'll need to find another way to the surface, warn your people about Hammond, and somehow stabilize the environmental systems before they fail completely."

"A simple task," I replied dryly.

Her mouth quirked in almost-smile. "Just another day's work."

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